


It's Complicated

by saragapen



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Gumlee - Freeform, M/M, Office AU, Very dark themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-02-06 12:46:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12817851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saragapen/pseuds/saragapen
Summary: !8+ Gumlee Office AuThis has SUPER DARK themes so if you are not comfortable with that, please DO NOT read!





	1. ❈ 1 ❈

**Author's Note:**

> It get's better. I promise.

 

  
  
❈❈❈

            "Ngh!~ A-Aah!~ f-fuck!~ Gah!~ Nnh!~ mm!~ aah!~ fuck!~ Ungh!~ I-I'M GONNA-... A-AAAH!~"

            "That's a good boy, Barnaby~"

❈❈❈

            That dick sucking son of a cunt! Ugh! My ass. FUCKING. Kills! Always getting me late for work... God...

            I ripped his arms off around of me, awfully salty of the events occurring last night. My boss, also the ass who fucks me, was a perverted dip shit, two-timing, no good, mother fucker. And that's putting it lightly. He was always cold, horny, and to top it off, bipolar. I mean, this isn't the first time I was used for my body but still, the mans got a wrinkly and tiny chode -always needing to use toys and shit. We're not dating or anything, fuck no. I have some class with choosing my men. I needed this job desperately and this was the only way I could get it... but that was two years ago... now I'm stuck with a contract that's trapped me from leaving this job for the next 13 years. 13 GOD DAMN YEARS!

            Fucking the geezer isn't my job, by the way. I work at an office as a personal secretary for my manager aka boss aka Simone Petrikov. Yesterday, even though I had practically begged him to let me go for that night, he still made me drive his drunk ass to his house from the grand re-opening party of the company Night-O-sphere -what it means, god knows- and then forced himself on me like every other night. Sigh...

            SHIT! It's 5:30 am already! I need to go prepare the idiots' office! Fuck!

❈❈❈

            Regardless of my tardiness, I had my uniform looking the best it possibly could. My uniform was a simple button up shirt with a coat on top, some dress pants and dress shoes -thankful the old geezer didn't make me wear a sexy maid dress. Since I was the personal secretary of the boss, I could have my uniform dyed whatever colour I'd like. So, like a stereotypical gay, I chose the colour pink. In my defence though, I  _really_  like the colour pink, even before I was deemed gay. Yea, deemed. I wasn't gay. I don't think I still am but after a certain incident, I became the local gay whore starting from grade 12 up until now. _He_ ruined my life since the day we'd met...

            I was just sorting out my papers when I heard the door click open, forcing my eyes to dart over in disgust, only to be relived by the sight of none other than Brandon Porco  **(Breakfast Prince)**. His bony hands held two cups, a small paper bag held with his mouth and his lips held the dorkiest smile I've ever seen. Glob he was a dingus, but the sweetest dingus in the entire franchise.

            I walked over and grabbed the bag from his mouth -allowing him access to his words- and a cup that he gestured to. "Half coffee with two creams and the other half of French vanilla with an extra added shot of espresso. Did I get that right? Oh, oh, and your strawberry scone"

            "Thank you so much! I didn't even ask to bring these today..." Since Brandon lived near a really good yet expensive café, I -sometimes- ask him to grab me something to drink and eat before coming to work. That's really rare because his work doesn't start until 9:30 and mine starts at 5:30, forcing him to wake up 4 hours earlier than usual is a very douchey thing to do -he's already done a lot for me that I know I won't ever be able to repay...   
I'm not even a coffee fan but when I've slept with Simone, I don't have time to go back home and brew up a cup of my favourite tea -which the café dose a shit job at making.

            "Don't mention it." He said softly, snaking one of his arm around my waist before placing his cup of whatever he drank on to a shelf nearby -to which I followed- snaking his other arm around me as well afterwards. His soft lips placed a kiss on my forehead, his arms squeezing the shit out of me -not literally- before pulling away and just resting his forehead on top the kiss "how's your bum-bum..." I would've laughed but that topic was a bit too iffy to take lightly.

            The entire time that Brandon friendly molested me -to which I'm totally ok with- I had my eyes closed and my hands on his chest, just taking the time to appreciate the others kindness. "It's... ok..." I could feel his eyes bore holes in to me, I also knew he was angry by the way his forehead moved and furrowed up his brows "you were there, weren't you...?" That was a rhetorical question "everyone saw what was going on... no one ever tries to stop the boss or else they'd be fired... everyone saw how I was trying my best to keep it low and plead to be let go... but he had to create a big scene and-..." I didn't want to talk further, it was just painful to think about "my sisters getting harder to manage with her mental illness... And peppers old now, getting sicker every minute... I just... I don't know how I'll ever be able to take care of Neddy if I'm never home and have a dick inside me all the time or if pepper ever-..." I'm glad I decided to keep my eyes closed, or there wouldn't be anything holding my tears back.

            "I'm so sorry, Barnaby..." I didn't blame him for not standing up, he's in the same situation as me -if not worse- he has two siblings at home, one who's doing a part-time job -she's 19- to support her little family and save up for university and the youngest one just turned 8. Brandon doesn't get along since he's always at work when they're at home, and when ever he does have time to talk, his siblings aren't interested. The poor guys trying his best... He really is... Bringing them toys and gifts every time he can to keep them together but his sisters really stubborn, she changed after their parents died... It's understandable... 

            His little brother, on the other hand, is totally in love with the attention! He's the very out going type and loves to be around other, especially me! I love going to Brandon's house just to meet up with the little munchkin! But... He's starting to grow distant the more and more Brandon starts working... School supplies, fees, and uniform are starting to grow the older he gets y'know?

            "Shhh... don't apologize, I know you'd rip that old geezers head off if you could" I opened my eyes only to see a dorky smile on his lips.

            "You bet I would! Now drink up your coffee before that son of a bitch arrives, ready and  _ready-to-.._. I still don't know how he gets erect...? Anyways, what did he use to make you... Y'know... this time? Cause I know there's no way he can do it with his wrinkly chode" I laughed, he was definitely correct.

            "He used a seed vibrator." I said in a matter of fact tone, grabbing my coffee, and sipping it before going and sitting on the boss’s chair -which only I was granted access to.  He shyly followed along, sitting on the table since there was nowhere else I wanted him to sit. If he wasn't close to me, he wasn't going to sit down. A rule I enforced him to follow.

            Once he'd taken his seat, I scooted over close to him before going in between his legs and hugging his waist, resting myself comfortably up against him. His hands finding their way into my hair as he softly ran his fingers through them. No one is aloud to touch my hair, and I mean  _ **NO ONE**_. Only Brandon, since he's a special snowflake.

            "The sperm looking one...?" He turned his head to hide his face, a blush creeping up on his cheeks. He was such an innocent child until I met up with him -the least innocent being on this earth- and ruined him. Sometimes I feel bad but the reaction I earn when I tell him something new and dirty is priceless, I can't help it.

            "Mhm, but he got a new one yesterday and it's bigger and has a stronger vibration." He was only asking to make me feel better, barely being able to stand talking about simple sex.

            "O-oh well um... that's nice...?" Is he getting uncomfortable already? Guess I have to spice things up faster before he forcefully leaves.

            "Ooh yea~ it goes in so deep, right up to my prostate and-..."

            "BARNABY!! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS DO THIS!?"

            "But I haven't even gotten to the best part..." I pulled away to look at him as I pouted, but he kept looking away. Ugh. "You wanna know what he has for me, later on, today….? ~" I kicked at the bottom desk drawer open -the biggest drawer- revealing a whole assortment of colour and size varying dildos.

            "I SWEAR BARNABY-... YOU KNOW WHAT, IM LEAVING!" I quickly hugged him tighter, forbidding him from leaving as I closed the drawer with my foot, all whilst laughing as hard as I could. He'll pretend he's cool with all these things but like I said, he's still pure as can be. Someday, I should honestly get him laid with a pretty chick, someone who'll treat him like a prince he is. Glob... He's so important to me, I would most likely be dead if it weren't for him...

            We've gotten really close in the past two years, now we’re acting like we've known each other since birth. Yea, me acting like this around him is normal, from the paternal-like kisses to the enemy like mischief. We're in an inseparable plutonic relationship and there's no one out there who could rip us apart, and I'm so very glad for that... we've been through so much shit in just two years together that it's just... overwhelming, to say the least.

            "Drink your coffee and eat up now, ok...?" He lifted my head up from his stomach to look into my eyes. My violet -it's a defect- eyes locked in the others hazel ones "remember, 6, 8, 4, ok?" They were the number of seconds I had to breathe in, hold, and then let out. It stimulated chemicals in my -not just mines, but everyone's- brain to relax me in case I had a panic attack in the middle of being fucked senseless... It happened before and he didn't stop... It was... Just plain out torture...

            "Yea... I will, don't stress you either ok? You're doing a really good job and I promise I'll get you a promotion..." I really did feel bad for him... I often gave him half my pay but he would never take it. He said I needed it more... What I needed was freedom from Simone. Speaking of the old geezer, he was soon to come and I still had a big load of things to finish! I quickly pulled away from the embrace before escorting Brandon out the room, hugging him one last time before planning to meet after my shift. Once he was gone, I scarfed down my breakfast and took my seat in Simons chair until he came -usually never getting a chance to sit after he came.

❈❈❈

            "It's two, Barnaby" of course you bastard would be waiting for two. I lifted my head up from the clip board of appointments before sighing and setting it aside. It was his lunch time, the time where he was extra horny. Most of my lunch was this geezer’s rancid cum. It disgusts me but what can I do...?

            "Yes, sir..." I want to be with Brandon again... I don't want to do this... I NEVER wanted to... "we can't... go all the way since you've had your way yesterday..."

            "Yea, yea! I know! Do what I've told you other wise! Just use your mouth!"

❈❈❈

            "Ngh...! ~ just like that~ use that stupid mouth of yours for something useful..~ nn...~ mm~ ugh..! GAH!" Without any warning. Again?! Ugh! I nearly spat that shit out, but remember how much he hated that... Forcing me to swallow...

            well, there goes my appetite.

            I remember when I had just started this job, I wasn't innocent, but that doesn't mean I'd always be ready for sex. Simone had somehow heard the rumours of me being a "slut" -which is not true and I wish the past events that lead up that rumour never happened... But it's been done and I just have to live with it. So, he heard them and gave me this job, making me blindly sign the contract and all this sexual stuff happened after that... The very first time, I was awfully inexperienced and had no idea what the actual fuck to do. So, like a rookie, I gagged and spat the disgusting fluid out, only then to be tortured -sexually. It lasted for few hours with knives, whips, toys and whatever the fuck he could find in his garage... Let's just sum it up as being a horrible night.

            As I cleaned up around him and his chair -any saliva, cum and all that jazz- he held on to my hair tightly, lifting up my head to look up at his puke worthy face. It disgusts me to the bone. I can't stand him. Not. At. All. "You better behave today, the founder of this company, Hannah Abadeer's son is coming, I don't want you to make a fool out of me with your stupid ideas and shit. I'll take you to the meeting but you keep your mouth shut. Not a single peep. Understand...?" I have a fucking university degree. You're a scumbag who doesn't know anything?! Every time I give good suggestions to the board leader or the administrator and apparently that makes him look bad???

            "Yes, sir..." I'm not looking at him, rather the wall on the other side.

            "Good, boy~" don't try anything. Don't try anything. Don't try anything. Regardless of my internal chants, the fucker tried kissing me to which I was obligated to kiss back. Fuck.

            I pulled away, pushing his hand away before walking away to get some water and clean myself off. FUCKING hate him. Ugh... who was the so-called son anyways? I bet he's a prick just like his mother. I opened the door to the bathroom and quickly washed up my hands, face and the inside of my mouth. I'm just going to go sit in Brandon's cubical, enjoy his company and probably eat a sandwich that he'll force me to eat. He cares for my well-being so much... I don't know where I'd be with out him...

            I was about to turn around and leave the bathroom when I bumped into someone's broad chest knocking me unstable. I braced myself for impact by closing my eyes but I was just moved and pinned against the sink. "Woah there... Relax, just chill..." A very deep and soothing voice spoke. "I didn't hurt you, did I-... Mind telling me your name?"

            I opened my eyes to see the most gorgeous man in the entire universe, standing in front of me. His pitch-black hair was semi jostled about, his skin was a sickly pale colour -just like a vampire- his jawline ready to cut me into pieces and his eyes... oh lord his eyes were beyond beautiful than any star I've seen. They were a typical brown, but an auburn brown topped with a deep shade of red. "Wow...." I couldn't help but let those words escape my mouth, I had to admire what's beautiful and it was just so unfair... He might as well be a king, seems like one to me. The only downside was that he was shorter than me. Oh, well. I can ignore that.

            He laughed, interrupting my eye-fucking with that sexy cackle. Take me now. Jeez lord, why now? Why couldn't you have sent this angel two years ago? When I could actually try and claim him as mine?! "I know, I know, I'm too much for you to handle, but please, mind letting me go?" I hadn't even noticed I had held on to his black vest that was fairly fit on him, show casing the defined muscles he could choke me with.

            I reluctantly ripped myself off of him, checking him out one last time before asking "Who are you...? I haven't seen you here before...?" Oh no... He grinned... Fuck! That was the dorkiest lopsided, shit-eating grin I've seen, and I might just want to let him fuck me right here right now.

            "Tsk, tsk, tsk. I asked a question first." I looked at him confused, not remembering being asked any questions. I guess he understood and repeated his question "what's your name?"

            "Oh, its Barnaby, Barnaby Gumball. Nice to meet you" I fixed myself up and stuck out my hand for the other to take.

            I could tell he was pleased and quite amused by my actions since his smirk turned into a genuine smile and one of his model-perfect brows rose up "Barnaby Gumball... Cute, sweet and formal. I like it, just like you." Is he flirting with me? Wow... He took my hand and shook it. Oh jeez, I felt like my hand was going to rip off at how tight his grip was. I need to stop any other vulgar thought from popping up because holy shit, those hands could end up doing A LOT.

            "Thank you..." I replied, my eyes still locked in with the others’ eyes in a stare off, letting time fly by like it was nothing.

            I swear I thought his eyes glowed for a second as he pulled away and cleared his throat "you're very welcome Barnaby, it was very nice to meet you but I have to go prepare for the meeting now. I'll see you later, bubba-... I mean Barnaby..." he hesitantly and quickly left the bathroom after that, leaving me dazed at the last sentence and why he'd call me that and I don't even know if I'll see him in the meeting, sure he'll be setting it up but he doesn't have to be there... But the most upsetting part about this entire thing was that I hadn't even gotten his name... Vampire King, it shall be... 

            and he never answered my question!

❈❈❈

            I now sat in Brandon's lap, curled up against him with our chests pressed together as he typed away on his filing and data work. I couldn't get the vampire king out of my head at all, day dreaming countless things about us but they felt more like memories than anything... Odd... "Hey Barn, what's up? You're so quiet... It's not like you..." He didn't look at me, just kept typing away.

            "I met this really hot dude before coming here and... I just had the weirdest thought of us dating and it wasn't like any other fantasy day dreams I've had... In it, I was the prince of candy and ruled the candy kingdom and he was the king of vampires... I don't know what's gotten into me... Guess that old hags cum has made me delusional..." I just got a smack on the back in protest and he only got a laugh out of me.

            "So, what's the hotties name?"

            "I don't know..."

            "You're a mess, Barnaby..."

            "I know..."

            Brandon laughed slightly. "Just eat something, ok?"

            "Ok..."

❈❈❈

            Soon enough, lunch finished and here I was, sitting next to Simon at the long rectangular table in the meeting room, eyes boring holes into the same guy I met in the bathroom. He sat in a chair next to Hannah Abadeer. Why was he sit-... Wait... Was he her son?! Oh shit... I probably made myself look like a fool in the bathroom! I've ruined any chances of us even getting together in my dreams, over!

            The presentation started and the Mrs. Abadeer introduced her son, Marshall Lee Abadeer... What a sexy name... Just like hi-... Stop. He thanked his mother and looked over everyone briefly, looking over me a bit longer then anyone else like he was checking me out -which clearly got Petrikov's panties in a twist. After that was over, he started up the presentation about how his things were going with the company and how we could improve them. Sure, his points were good but they had some minor flaws that could become very destructive really soon. I jotted down the points and slid board over to Simon to read them aloud -like he usually would in a meeting- but was interrupted "Hey! You. In the pink. Stand up." Everyone fell silent as I looked around, hoping there would be someone else in pink. "I saw you making faces the entire time I was presenting, have something to say? Then say it. Don't just doodle on your clip board." I gulped and gathered all my courage to speak but I couldn't. Simon was going to kill me if I even opened up my mouth. "Fine then. Don't talk." Now Marshall was furious. I know this isn’t the time but mark me down as scared and horny. "Give me that clip board, I'll be having a word with you after we're finished." Simon just passed over the board without even thinking of looking at what I had wrote, disregarding it as being stupid like me -like always...

            Marshall looked over the board growing angrier and angrier by the second as I let my head fall and look at my lap, wanting to get Brandon promoted more now so he could be here with me... it's ok Barnaby, just breath.

            Breath in for 6.

            Hold for 8.

            Breath out for 4.

            Repeat.

            I repeated over and over again until I was interrupted "this is why you weren't saying anything?!" I just looked up and acknowledged that I was called, refusing to answer "you know that these are genius, right...?! Why didn't you interrupt me before?" He asked, catching everyone's interest. Hannah grabbed the board and smiled, quite amused that a secretary was able to bat with Marshall's questioning. "I'm surprised Simone didn't come up with this... Aren't you the boss...?"

            No, no, no, no, no, please, no! I don't want to go through all those painful tortures... please! I felt Simone's hand squeeze my thigh tightly, in a way, foreshadowing what would happen in the future. "Yes, I am. I've thought him everything I know. I make him write the points down so I can correct him and then present them to you." His hand squeezes tighter and I started to have an internal panic attack, it was hard to breathe and hard to keep calm. My eyes watered up and my mind just ran through with all the things that would happen to me. It didn't look like anyone believed Simone's words but they soon dismissed it and went back to the presentation.

❈❈❈

            The meeting finished and I ran out of that room as fast as I could, running all the way to Brandon. He was talking to some other dude with a tattooed star on his forehead -he said it was a bet he lost- but stopped instantly when he saw my almost broken state. LSP understood that now wasn't a good time and quickly left and once he was gone, I quickly took my seat on Brendon. Chest to chest again and my arms tightly around his neck as I sobbed, sobbed as hard as I could. Brandon didn't ask any questions and I was thankful for that, he just held me tight and rubbed my back as he said soothing, sweet nothings to calm me down -even though it wasn't working knowing what Simone would do, no one would be calm.

 

 


	2. ❈ 2 ❈

  
❈❈❈

            I just sat there, not really wanting to move at all. Surely that ass hat of a boss would be looking for my ass but I'm surprised he didn't look here first. He knows, much like everybody else here that my safe haven is in Brendon's arms or at least around him. My tears had stopped a while ago but my hiccups and sniffles hadn't. If anyone saw how I looked like, they'd probably turn away since I looked like an utter mess no one wanted to handle. Except for Brendon. He's the only one in the God-forsaken building that would care and not just about me, but anyone who's in pain or just sad. "Barnaby... Let's get you a drink of water... Ok? And then if you'd like, we can talk about what happened..." His gentle voice caught all my attention, soothing me even more. His gentle grip comforted me, nearly forcing me to fall asleep and his kindness was the thing that gave me hope for the future.

            "Ok...But... I don't want to get up..." I pushed my head off the others wet shoulder, cringing slightly at how disgusting I am when I'm crying. "I'll get that dry cleaned..." Brendon wasn't bothered by the mess on his own shoulder which always surprised me. He just gave me a soft smile and shook his head, denying my offer before softly placing a kiss on my forehead.

            "I think I have a bottle of water in my lunch box, let me just grab that." I let Brandon grab his lunch box that his siblings had gotten for him and because of that, it was a Disney Princess lunch box that he refused to claim as his siblings. He always said he loved each princess which everybody laughed at him for. I thought it was cute that he wasn't embarrassed by what his little munchkin and sister got him. Oh, and one time, since everybody knows about the princess thing, the office gave Brendon a surprise birthday party where everyone gifted him a princess doll. You'd expect him to be mad but nope! I went back home with him and all those children toy gifts which he gave to his little family, beyond happy that he wouldn't be the only one enjoying his day of birth.

            I slid off of Brendon's lap slowly before standing awkwardly in the tiny cubical. One of my hands held my other arm, rubbing it up and down to try and comfort myself but it wasn't working as well as being in Brendon's arms. "Simons... Gonna… You know... The torture thing again..." My head stayed low as I tried my best not to start crying again. The anticipation or the fear of not knowing exactly how torturous tonight is going to be was like living eternal hell.

            My hands found their way to my red, puffy eyes as they harshly rubbed them. Digging the heels of my palms in to stop the tears from starting again. I guess Brendon saw this because he pulled me into a tight hug, placing a soft kiss onto my head to try and take the sorrow away but he knew as much as I did that nothing could stop what was coming.

            The little pity party stopped once we heard someone clearing their throat, I didn't dare look up, I just continued to bury my head into my dearest friend’s neck since I knew it was my cunt of a boss. Brendon, on the other hand, turned to look at who it was, only to grow stiff momentarily and utter one word of astonishment. "Wow..." in that moment I knew exactly who he was.

            I lifted my head ever so slightly so my lips would be closer to Brandon’s ears. "He's the ‘bathroom’ guy..." I whispered ever so lightly before pulling away and acting like I wasn't just bawling my eyes out.

            Marshall, the new god of this office -both metaphorical and physical- stood in front of us with his arms crossed, a hip cocked to the side and his lips in a smirk. "Am I interrupting something? I can leave you two love-birds alone if you'd like?"

            "Yes." Brendon spoke.

            "No!" I batted against him.

            Both Brendon and I had different responses. Forcing a glaring competition between the two of us and again, Marshall was the one to break us off. "Fine then, I'll just take your boyfriend here and get out of your cubical." He simply stated, reaching over for me but Brendon didn't allow for it. He simply pulled me back into a hug, away from Marshall's reach. This time it was Brendon and Marshall who had a glare off, leaving me to break it off.

            "Guys, stop. I'm no one’s boyfriend." Marshall smiled, pleased by the answer but Brendon continued to give a suspicious glare at Marshall. "Is there something you need...? Is Simon calling for me...?" I didn't really want my question answered but since he was higher authority than me, I at least have to know where I stand in this situation.

            Marshall simply shook his head. "I'm here for you. I told you that I wanted to see you after the meeting but you ran off. Literally. Did I say something wrong...?" His hand reach over and cupped my cheek as his thumb gently brushed under my puffy eyes, probably already knowing that I was crying. "I'll take you out for dinner today as an apology."

            Well, at least my stupid crying came to some sort of use. Not only was I comforted by Brendon but I'm going on a date with the new hot CEO. "I-... Sure... You didn’t say anything wrong but I’ll take you up on that offer…" AND HES SAVING ME FROM SIMON. HOLY SHIT.

            With a defeated sigh, Brendon let go of me, giving me the water bottle before going back to sitting on his office chair and working. "I don't trust him, Barnaby. You shouldn't either." He had some balls to say that in front of Marshall but I don't think he knows who he is.

            Marshall just rolled his eyes, paying no more attention to the cubical worker and instead, giving me all his attention. He tried pulling me into a hug but I refused. As much as I'd love to be fucked up against a wall by him -let alone be held-, I trusted Brendon's sense of judgment and tried to stay weary from the other. Marshall, I presume, understood this, and pulled away from me and let me be. "I'll meet you in your office at seven then, ok?" I gave a half assed smile as a response and kept my head low. Listen, I'm still not happy and even if he was fully saving me from the torture, it didn't mean it wasn't going to happen one way or another. "I'll take you home if you'd like and if not, we'll go straight to dinner. Even this guy can come along."

            I'd honestly like that. I lifted my head up with a soft genuine smile this time and nodded. "I'd really like that, thank you." Guess my good luck ran out because as soon as that sentence had finished, Simon walked over looking pissed as all hell -his expression changing instantly when he say Marshall.

            "Oh, sir. Didn't expect you here... If you don't mind, Barnaby and I have a very busy schedule ahead and mustn't waste any time." His disgusting hand grabbed onto mines harshly and if it weren't for Marshall, he might as well had ripped my arm out.

            "Well... alright then. I'll leave you two be. Oh and, Simone. He's going to be dismissed at seven today. So like, in three hours? I have to discuss some things with him. He seems to know what he's doing unlike you." Fuck you Marshall and your beautiful fucking face. Simon just dragged me off, his grip tightening around my hand as he stormed off -mumbling obscenities under his breath about both me and Marshall.

            No one in the world would think that Simon would do anything more than either lowering my pay, giving me a lot more work at the most, scolding me. Which to many, was terrifying on its own. But to me, that was like being rewarded...

❈❈❈

            I sat on my knees in the middle of the floor now, legs spread wide open. Not a single piece of cloth on my body except the blindfold on my eyes and the thick gag in my mouth, both of which were soaking wet with either my tears or my saliva. I really didn't know what was happening anymore nor was I aware of my surroundings. My hands felt numb for being tied behind my back so tightly and my body quivered from all the ice packs placed atop me. I was so god damn cold. I can't feel my fingers or my legs at this point. I hadn't been touched for the past half an hour or so and I don't even think Simons in the room.

            I heard a faint click, a click that caught all my guards and directed my attention towards the sound. "Having fun there?" No, you fucker! I'm trembling in front of you and you, sadist son of a bitch, are enjoying this. "No knife today. Don't want any blood on the ground today so... Here, let me warm you up." He let out a small chuckle and I heard the click once again. The next thing I know, I felt something warm right up against my nipple, which wasn't bad at first. It was slightly nice until the skin all around started burning, stinging, and causing agonizing pain. My screams once again were muffled by the gag but that didn't mean Simon wasn't aware of them. Hell, it's actually a turn on for him.

            He continued to burn the skin all around one of my nipple before going on to the other one and burning the flesh and skin all around it. If that wasn't enough, he attached his lips around the already burnt skin and started to suck, suck as harshly as he could and even bite down. I continued to scream, hoping, and praying someone would come and save me in this God-forsaken office but everyone knew not to interrupt. Maybe my prayers were heard because the excruciating pain stopped, letting my throat rest for a bit. I heard the drawer open and something being pulled out, which I could only presume was a dildo from his 'special' drawer. My breath still hitched, my body still quivered and now my chest was stinging. I just want to go home. I can't bare this. I don't want to be able to bare this.

            I felt something poke at my rear hole, causing my body to shift away slightly from surprise. "No. You're not moving away. You're going to sit yourself on to this. And I'm not going to help. Remember, if you're not able to do this, I'll have to punish you harder. ~" My hands hesitantly grabbed onto the phallic toy, and feel it a bit. No, no, no, no, no, please. Please. The size of the toy was far too big and I needed to be stretched out a little more before this could fit inside me. I guess Simon saw the hesitation and clicked the lighter back, placing the flame almost against the base of my dick. It wasn't burning yet but it was close enough to make me uncomfortable. I couldn't do it. No. I can't... It's too big... I won't be able to sit down for dinner with Marshall nor will I be able to justify why I can't. I just sighed and shook my head slowly... Please just let me go!

❈❈❈

            I could feel eyes watch my every movement, looking over me with those disgusting blue eyes. I felt dead inside. This was a lot worse than crying for 24 hours straight... My body was in severe pain with multiple bruises, burns and rips. I could still feel the blood and semen drip down my legs even though it probably had dried by now.

            "Get up you piece of shit. I'm done with you for today. I've freed you. I'll continue the rest tomorrow. Move!" He kicked the side of my ribs, forcing me to roll onto my side with a loud groan. My eyes cracked open from the intense pain, my body so close to just shutting down. Regardless of how much it hurt, I got up and wore my clothes. It was around seven now so it meant I was dismissed for the day. I didn't want to go to dinner, I just wanted to go home. My clothes rubbed against every burn and it hurt. It hurt. So. Fucking. Bad.

            I eventually made it to Brendon's cubical but he wasn't there. I guess it was the perfect spot to curl up and cry now. There was no way I would have been able to drive myself back home and everything hurt so bad... just... I hope I die from internal bleeding here. Selfish, I know. But everything is so goddamn unbearable.

            I took my spot on the floor, curling myself up against the makeshift walls until my body gave up and I fell unconscious.

❈❈❈

            My eyes fluttered open softly, a gentle breeze hitting my face as I took in the beautiful view before me. I surely wasn't dead, was I? I saw cars zoom by me - or was I zooming by them? - and behind the cars was the most beautiful view of a lake, lightened only by the high moon in the sky. I think I actually might be dead. I tried moving a bit but pain shot up my spine, forcing out a short scream. Guess I really wasn't dead. "Woah! Woah! Chill dude! You're safe...! I'm just taking you home."

            My head shot towards the voice, my body temporarily forgetting about its pain and focusing on finding out what the fuck was going on. By the looks of it, I was in a very expensive car and the car belonged to none other than my CEO. God... He is an angel that I wished for but also an angel that will make my life worse. My eyes admired every little feature he had to offer to the public eyes, fascinated with every curve and edge that made him so god damn attractive. "H-how-..." it felt like there were a thousand needles in my throat, preventing me to speak. I had to rest myself further against the seat and hold my throat to calm the pain or else that would be another thing to cry about at home.

            Marshall saw my pain and decided to explain why and how I got here before I either lost my mind or jumped out the car in fear. "So, Brendon and I were talking and no, don't worry, it wasn't high authority and shit talking it was more of a man to man chat. Once we finished it was around 7:20 ish and I was like 'Oh shoot! We have our little dinner date to go to!' And so, both of us walked over to Simons office room and he told us that you'd left to see me at seven exact. I felt so bad that you had to go home without being notified but Brendon somehow just knew that you wouldn't be home and where you'd be. So. I followed him to your cubical and there you were, curled up in a corner tightly, whimpering and crying over god knows what but all I knew was that you looked like you were in hell lot of pain and needed help. I said I'd take you home but your lover of a friend didn't trust me so we argued a bit and here we are now." I looked at him with shocked eyes, kind of regretting not being awake to know how it felt to be carried in Marshall's arms. "Oh and, Brendon's knocked out in the back seat. He got bored and just fell asleep. I promise I didn't do anything to him or you." Marshall didn't look the slightest bit phased by this entire thing, nor did he look away from the road to look at me.

            I simply nodded and looked behind to confirm that Brendon was there and surely, he was, asleep in the most ridiculous pose. I turned back and relaxed into the seat, gripping the edges of the seat as a way to suppress any urges to scream out in agony. "Thank... you..."

            Marshall finally turned towards me and smiled but not for too long before continuing to look ahead, the smile still intact. "No problem! Just rest up and I'll take you home real quick! Mind telling me how you're in so much pain, though?"

            "Food poisoning..." I couldn't just tell him the truth! No matter how much he's helped me. Only person who knows is Brendon. I know he won't tell anyone anything no matter what, that's why I've trusted him with the information. It was obvious that Marshall didn't believe me but it was too late to take it back.

❈❈❈

            Eventually, we made it to my house the long way, even stopping for a coffee on the way to help my throat -Brandon had woken by then to help me order. We stopped right in my driveway, so I didn't have to walk too much. "Thank you, Marshall. I owe you big time for all of this..."

            Marshall just winked in return, forcing a deep blush to grow on my cheeks. "No problem, hot stuff. ~"

            "Ok. No. No flirting with Barnaby Gumball for as long as I live!" Brendon interrupted, obviously not pleased by everything going on in between us.

            "Come on, bro. You can't just hog him like this. And besides, I'm the new CEO. He's my  _'personal'_ secretary too now." Marshall laughed afterwards, filling my chest with warmth I didn't know a laugh could do -a soft smile gracing my lips.

            "No. No. Ooooooh no! Keep away from him and his cherry! It doesn't need to be popped by you too!" Brandon was practically in between our seats now, glaring off at both of us. "And I don't care if you're my CEO. That doesn't count outside of the offices proximities."

            "What do you mean 'too'?" Marshall questioned and Brendon and I just stared.

            "Uhhh... N-nothing... I'm just going to go inside and pretend like all of this" I motioned with my hands "never happened, ok? Ok. Good night."

            Marshall laughed, filling my chest with warmth once again. What the hell is he doing to me...? Brendon reached over and placed a soft kiss onto my head and my cheek, making it last longer than usual just so he could make Marshall jealous, which definitely worked. You may ask how I know this? Well, it's because not even a second later, he reached over for a kiss which Brendon stopped by placing a hand right on his lips. "Nu-uh, Marshall. My lips only. No one else's."

            My smile instantly vanished when flashes of Simons lips all over me flashed before me, disgusting, and ruining my mood. "I think I'm gonna puke... I really need to go..." Marshall gave a concerning frown but nodded, pulling Brandon's hand off. "It was nice to meet you sir... but please... let's just keep our relationship to a secretary and CEO only..." his frown worsened and his concerned looked turned more like he was hurt now.

            I just can't. Even if he were to know about Simon and be ok with staying with me for the remainder of the contract, I wouldn't be able to see the pained look in his eyes after he'd see me in such a fucked-up state. I hate my life so much... no matter what I do, I can't really be happy...

            Brandon gave Marshall's shoulder a squeeze and a sympathetic look. "You gotta drive me home now dude. You can drink your sorrows away at my place. I told you he's not available..." as I slid out of the car, Brandon slid into my seat and held onto my hand gently -sitting in a weird angle. "Stay safe... Call me... Ok? I'm right here for you-... Not literally but you understand."

            I smiled a little, running my hand through his hair. "I understand. Sleep well, both of you." I then turned away and headed inside, not wasting another second -having difficulties standing up. Once I was inside, I slid off my shoes and my dress coat, welcomed by the sight of my sister having fallen asleep in the middle of the living room floor with scattered crayons, papers and even a half-eaten crayon -non-toxic, don't worry. I couldn't help the smile forming on my lips as I walked over and cleaned up all the mess. I didn't mind pepper not being here to look over her all the time, besides, I heard some clanking of the dishes so she's most likely cleaning those.

            "Finally decided to close your legs and come home, huh?" Oh... I forgot peppermint saw me as the local whore as well. "You haven't shown your face for the past three days. And you finally come now?!" I just sighed, picking up Neddy in my arms and walking over to the very petite lady.

            I leant over, ignoring any and every urge of screaming out in pain as I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'm glad to be back, too..." I walked upstairs, just praying that I wouldn't slip with my beautiful sister in my arms. She may not be pretty to others with her severe autism but to me, I haven't seen any women more gorgeous. I took her to her room and gently laid her down, kissing her forehead good night.

            I turned away and walked out the room, sighing. Her therapy fee is getting more and more expensive and on top of that, I feel like her conditions are getting worse...

            peppermint stopped me halfway in the hallway be clearing her throat rather loudly. "Barnaby."

            "Yes, grandma..." I turned around and looked at a very mad looking peppermint. Nothing hurt more than being looked at with pure disgust by someone you only want love from.

            "I need you at home. You know That any day now, I'll be dead just like your parents and you're going to have to take care of Neddy. But if you keep being a slut, you're going to end up killing her!" I really didn't want to hear this at the moment. I think I've suffered enough today. I guess peppermint understood that i wasn't going to say anything in return and decided to head back downstairs, saying the one phrase I never wanted to hear. "I'm glad your parents are dead actually... If they saw you like this, they'd be so ashamed of calling you their son."

            I couldn't even hold my tears back anymore, they started to slide off my cheeks rapidly, dropping down to the floor and making small pat noises. I trudged my way to my room and stripped down instantly and I locked the door behind me. My chest ached once again and the slight warmth I'd received from Marshall's laughter had all dissipated. I was left to cry once again on my bed in pure agony. I was in so much pain. So, so, so much in pain. Not only was my body in pain, but also rather sticky. I would've showered before I laid in my bed to sleep but I couldn't get up... I felt disgusting to the core and a part of me told me that all of this was what I deserved...

 


	3. ❈ 3 ❈

  
❈❈❈

            Hours passed and Gumball still trembled, restless in his bed. Each wound that was left on him still caused agonizing pain, forbidding any minute of sleep. Gumball's eyes were sore as they strained to make more tears, which in turn caused the pounding in his head to further increase. Soft whimpers and sniffles could be heard if you focused hard enough, Barnaby making sure that if peppermint was patrolling outside, she wouldn't even have a clue. She might have seemed like a massive bitch yesterday but she's nothing like that. She's always raised Gumball as his own son after his horrid uncle Lennon G. Lennon was a horrible and abusive guardian that had taken care of Gumball after his parents had died but that's a story for another time.

            The current issue was that Gumball wasn't able to find any moment of peace. Thankfully though, his body was able to relax by 2:30 am, giving him two and a half hours of sleep until work would start again but faith had it otherwise. A soft yet alarming tune erupted from within the tidy room, startling the prince and his comfort. His body screamed for Gumball to stay still and let it heal itself but Gumball knew better. He had to get up and shut off the tune resonating from within his clothes so Neddy and peppermint didn't wake up. Gumball couldn't roll over and reach his phone since one side of his bed -closest to his clothes- was barricaded up for whenever his sister came to sleep with him -she moved a lot in her sleep and fell off the bed a lot.

            It was awfully painful and hard but he eventually got his phone before making it back to his bed and answering the call. It took him a few seconds of just listening to random and indescribable noises before someone spoke up. "It's face time, Bubs." Gumball internally groaned and repositioned his phone off his ear to his face so none of his wounds showed but his face wouldn't look too bad either -but even he wasn't attractive when he was half asleep and awfully exhausted. "There you go, how are you handsome?" Gumball recognized the voice, forcing him to focus better on the screen. He simply rubbed his eyes, clearing his sight and Marshall's handsome face came to view.

            "Oh God, Marshall... It's… It’ almost 4 in the morning... I have to go to work in an hour... How did you even get my number...?" He whispered, glaring daggers at the other through the screen.

            Marshall was about to answer until a small buddy popped up from below him a loud and cheery voice erupting from his throat -Gumball had to quickly cover up the speakers to quiet it down. "Gumball!!" The small kid laughed as he just now realized he had knocked his head against Marshall's nose in excitement -to which he apologized instantly.

            Gumball laughed, finding his CEO in pain, hilarious. "Aww, munchkin~ what are you doing up awake at this moment...? You need to sleep... You have school tomorrow...!" Gumball softly scolded not being too harsh since he just loved Brendon's younger brother so much. Wait... "Marshall, what are you doing at Brendon's house...?!"

            Marshall had been rubbing his nose in pain when that happened and trying to consult Julian -Brendon's youngest brother- whom was almost in tears from the guilt of hurting the other. Marshall's face twisted into an amused smirk at Gumball's questions. "You're always worried, chill a little. ~ Tell him, munchkin." 'Munchkin calmed down and returned his cheery gaze to Gumball.

            "Yeah! Chill, Gumball! Sleep is for the weak!" Something Gumball was sure Marshall thought him. "And this guy wouldn't stop tickling and kissing my cheeks when he saw me and then he played cars with me and I don't know what happened but sis seemed so happy and she wore more makeup then usual and I think she likes marshmallow here because you know, she never tries looking pretty for anyone unless she thinks they're hot. I think Marshall's very handsome but I don't think he's hot. I'm sitting on his lap and he hasn't burnt me yet so I don't know... Sister went somewhere again like she does everyday and leaves me behind. It's not fun and all but this guys really fun. Don't worry though, you're always way better and your cookies are so good and will you be coming again-...?!"

            "Woah there little guy, haha relax and take a deep breath." Marshall hushed the eight-year-old in his lap whom was out of breath by now, the older laughing his butt off at how cute he was. "I'm staying over at Brendon's house because I don't want to go stay in my hotel. It's too... Rich. I don't like that. I want a home to stay in and I saw this cutie which was an added bonus to staying here. Brendon's sleeping upstairs-..."

            "No, I'm not! You liar!" Brendon's voice came from afar. Marshall visibly bit on his tongue as Julian sniggered. "I'm just making some coffee for this bastard! And get off my phone! Barnaby's ill and he needs to be at work soon!" Exactly what Gumball had said earlier.

            "He's not going anywhere, Brendon. I'll call in sick for him. And. We're coming to see you in the morning, bubba, ok?"

            "No. I'm perfectly ok." Even a blind person could see through his lie. "I'm going to work and stop calling me bubba! where did you even get that name from?!" Gumball was whisper-shouting at the other, quite confused as to how in the hell his name could ever be bubba or be mistaken as it all the while being careful he didn’t wake anyone up.

            Marshall just glared. Gumball was in no shape to even walk but knowing Simone, his punishment will get more and more worse the longer it takes to happen. "Are you denying your new boss?" He really did love shoving his authority down others throats.

            Gumball was about to agree but stopped. "Boss? You're the CEO sure but you're not the head of the science department -which Simone was. You can't fire me either because of my contract so in other words, you kind of have no authority over me. You can demote Simone though. Get him to a different position so I can dread over having a new" and far better. "And worse boss. If that's even possible." Gumball rolled his eyes and Julian looked at Gumball and then Marshall before repeating that a couple times in fear.

            "That's how we're playing it, huh? Fine. I was just trying to be nice but I guess you'd rather fight then. Don't come to work tomorrow or the day after. I'll have you re-assigned. I'm sure you'd just love to work a lot harder for a lot less of a pay then your buddy Brendon here." Gumball's eyes widened, not realizing that, that was a possibility. If he was changed position like that then he'd definitely have to become a prostitute to pay off monthly medical fees.

            Julian slid out of the other's grip and pattered his way to Brendon in fear, who was standing not too far from his CEO, both concern and fear written all over his face. "Marshall... he's not himself right now... Please don't do that... He's just sick..."

            Julian wasn't really sure what all the business junk Marshall and Barnaby were talking about but if his brother was afraid, so was he -10x more in fact. "Gumball's a good boy... I promise..." He tried his best to make Marshall agree with his brother so he could be happy again and make Marshall the fun guy again which at the moment, he was very scary looking. Julian glanced over the two males in the room once more before clutching at Porco’s pants tighter.

            Marshall stared in anger for a couple of seconds longer before taking a deep breath and sighing. "I'm still not letting you come to work tomorrow or the day after. It's my order as a CEO for you to stay home and rest. And I want you to buy Julian here a toy for saving you from me" Julian's lips curled into a giant smile as he ran back to Marshall and engulfed him in a tight hug, which Marshall gladly returned.

            Brendon took his phone back from Marshall and smiled over at the two. "You two should play, I need to talk to Gumball briefly before he goes to sleep." Both Gumball and Brendon were beyond relieved and thankful for Julian's cuteness that had saved Gumball's job. Even though Barnaby would be treated far better being demoted but he was already barely just paying off for his family and the lack of money would be extremely harmful. Brendon took the phone to the kitchen before turning face time off and back to a call. "Hey, Barn." Gumball followed pursuit and put the phone to his ear, lightly groaning in pain as he positioned himself to be a little more comfortable again. "Are you ok...? How bad was Simone this time...?"

            Brendon asked a lot of questions concerning the brutal activities with Simon as he made sure that Marshall or Julian wasn't eavesdropping, to which Gumball replied with honest replies, breaking down in the middle of explaining. Once the inquiry was done, Brendon calmed the other down and suggested taking pain killers -just two at max- so he could sleep for the rest of the night and be well again. Gumball obliged without hesitation and was soon fast asleep like he wasn't injured at all.

❈❈❈

            Gumball's eyelashes fluttered as his eyes flickered open, revealing the beautiful violet eyes hidden behind them that were temporarily blinded by the sunlight seeping in through the drawn back curtains. "Morning, princess." They scavenged around the room to see where the voice had come from and thankfully, it wasn't a robber but unfortunately it belonged to Marshall. He sat next to Gumball with his back up against the white head board and his feet stretched out in front of him. His hands and lap held a whole bunch of files that he was scanning through, piercing auburn red eyes scanning the printed sheets.

            "What are you doing in my house...?!" Gumball struggled but quickly sat up, only then realizing that his pyjamas -teal and baby pink polka dots on white trousers and shirt- were on and he wasn't nude like he remembered being. "D-did you... Dress me...?" Slight panic and fear arose in him as images of Marshall being absolutely disgusted by how he looked ran through his mind, further making him insecure about what he was as an entire being.

            Marshall side glanced at Gumball and gave half a smile, finding the others self-consciousness adorable. "No, don't worry. Brendon dressed you. He wouldn't even let me enter the house until he knew you would be ok with it." Gumball relaxed as he softly rested himself against the head board as well, sighing in relief. "And we're just here to take care of you. Your mother -I'm presuming- left with your little sister to the doctor since yours was here. Oh yeah, we brought that back too."

            Gumball turned his head over to Marshall and looked over the files that he was looking through but couldn't really figure out what they were for. "My parents have been dead since I was little kid, peppermints my grandmother." Gumball creepily spoke with no emotion in his voice, having just grown to the pain that usually came along with the mentioning of his dead parents.

            "I'm so sorry..." Marshall spoke up, feeling awful for bringing it up now but Gumball was again, unfazed.

            "It's nothing. Anyways, where's Brendon and what are these for?" He pointed at the files, not daring to grab one and look at them in the tears of enraging the other.

            "Brendon's downstairs warming the soup your grandma had made for you and these are mostly documents and data files I have to go over to work but since I'm missing the day for you, I'm doing my work here. Currently, the file I'm looking at is yours, for your position like I mentioned yesterday."

            Fear stuck through Gumball again and he was at full attention now. "I'm so sorry, please! I-I was half asleep and I didn't know what was going through my mind! Please give me another chance!"

            "Do you really want another chance?"

            "Yes! I can't afford to be in a lower position or lose income...!" Gumball continued to beg, shifting to his knees so he could get a proper look at the other -completely disregarding his pain.

            "Then kiss me." Marshall's eyes were locked in with Gumball's, staring with the most serious face that told him he meant what he'd just said.

            "Wha-..." Gumball bit down on his lip as his eyes wandered lower form Marshall's eyes to his lips, really wanting to accept -this wasn't really a big of a deal to him anyways. "Ok... how would you lie to be kissed...?" He asked simply before leaning over to the other. Kissing wasn't the only thing he was willing to do with Marshall but with his current circumstances, kissing was all he could offer.

            Marshall just smirked before starting to laugh. "You're so gullible, you know that, right?" He laughed some more which just started to piss Gumball off before finally taking a deep breath and calming himself. "I'm not doing anything if that sort. I am how ever, looking through your file. You have outstanding skills and an extremely high IQ level to the point that it baffles me that you chose to be a measly secretary when you can very well be in my place right now." Marshall reached over and ruffled his hair. "So, I'm promoting you. The only thing that's wrong here is that your contract says 15 years of secretary service and so you'll be the CEO's secretary -aka, mine- and Simons. We'll be sharing you until I can have you as my own, only. Which is a whole lot of paperwork."

            Gumball's day couldn't have been better and the urges of jumping up and kissing Marshall were too high for comfort. "Oh my God...!!!! Thank you so much Marshall-... I just... You're the best!"

            Marshall smiled "You're very welcome. Always keep smiling like you are right now, ok? You look very handsome like that." He then leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Gumball's head.

            Marshall was stopped when a clearing of someone's throat could be heard from the door frame, indicating that Brendon had just arrived and was probably aware of what was happening. "Lips. Off." Brendon and Marshall had gotten rather close since yesterday's hang over -Brendon was just a guy everyone could get along with- and so Brendon being stern with Marshall was just overlooked.

            "Or what?" Marshall then grabbed on to Gumball's face and started placing as many kisses as he could and where ever he could, causing the other to erupt into laughter.

            Brendon was far from pleased by this, quickly making his way over to the two before placing the hot soup and first aid kit that was in his hands on to the bed side table, ripping the two apart right after. "No!" Brendon then pulled Gumball up into a tight hug -keeping his own back to Marshall- before placing kisses everywhere Marshall had placed them as if they were being replaced.

            Marshall just glared. "Yea, yea, whatever. Get your boyfriend to stop kissing you before you two end up having sex in front of me." Brendon instantly stopped and burnt a bright red, never having any impure thoughts when he kissed Gumball -only caring ones.

            It was Gumball's turn to glare at Marshall now. "You're just jealous we're in a better relationship than you. ~" he teased and that might have hit the close to home for Marshall since his playful smile had turned into a sad frown. "No, Marshall. I didn't-..."

            "It's whatever. Just drink your soup. Or eat it? I don't know... just get well soon now, ok? And get mama Brendon to take good care of you."

            "Where are you going...?" Brendon questioned, finally letting Gumball go.

            "Oh me? I'm still. I'll just be working." The two just smiled softly at Marshall's reply.

            Brendon softly grabbed on to Gumball's hand and started to drag him to the bathroom with the first aid kid that was placed on the side table earlier on. Marshall gave concerning looks but didn't say anything and had just let them be.

❈❈❈

"Ow! Ow! Brendon! Be more gentle!"

❈❈❈

            Brendon returned from bandaging and bathing Gumball from the bathroom and Gumball followed behind, looking a lot less like a mess and more like a person now. Marshall gave them both weird looks before smirking and commenting. "You guys had rather loud sex in there, did you know that?"

            "We did no such thing!!" Gumball protested as Brendon became too red and embarrassed to reply again. "He was just helping me! We did nothing sexual! What do I have to say to get that through your head?"

            "Nothing, really. I just love Brendon's reactions." Hey, at least he was being honest.

            The rest of the day was spent peacefully as the trio joked around and further made Gumball's day better. Gumball was so happy and he really thought that this was the day that Gumball was going to be able to have a normal life and if Marshall did as he said then he could even be able to have a good relationship with the other!

            Though, this was only the beginning of what hell his life had in store.

 


	4. ❈ 4 ❈

  
❈❈❈

            As the next day rolled around like any other day would; the sun setting itself and revealing the illustrious night sky, tainted with many stars that although dead, held a beauty like no other. Gumball's wounds were somewhat better now, multiple ointments had been placed on the many burns only to subside to a numbing ache now. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it, his body had grown accustomed to such pain but try as hard as he might, his mind seemed to make it worse. It's one thing to be in pain and another to think that you're in pain.

            Marshall had stayed by Barnaby's side, relentless on sticking to his side like taffy regardless of being told that 'it's ok to leave' but Brandon had to leave for both his work and siblings, all though apologetic, he didn't have a choice. The raven-haired had had loads of phone calls to attend to and paperwork to finish but even then, he was able to squeeze in a movie with Gumball. Marshall would even occasionally ask random questions in between his paperwork such as: what's your favourite colour? How old were you when your first tooth came out? What's your favourite hobby? What was baby Barnaby's first word? Etc. Etc. Gumball didn't find them creepy at all, honestly, he found them very cute and charming that even though the raven-haired male was preoccupied with work, he could still be sweet and caring.   
Even though Gumball knew he didn't deserve this, he accepted it.

For now.

            Peppermint rolled into the driveway finally, the roaring engine of a car stopping and welcoming the night silence once again. Marshall hadn't been doing much that time, just sitting on the floor with his papers scattered in a mess and Gumball laying on his stomach, facing his CEO and watching him in disgust. He really hated how messy he was but hey, at least he was working and not making his secretary do  _ **all**_ the work, unlike  _somebody._ Once Gumball was sure that it was Peppermint who'd arrived -the sound of his front door opening confirming his hypothesis- a sudden panic surged through him. His body instantly shot up, the fabric of his pyjamas rubbing against his burns and forcing out a hiss that caught Marshall's attention. Regardless of the itch-tempting ache, he rushed to get the bed nicely done -even though it was already made- before giving the room a once over, disregarding Marshall's paper mess and then sitting back down on the bed only to start fidgeting with his fingers, scratching the back of his hand to the point it was starting to redden -though both males were unaware. Auburn eyes watched the others panicked state in honest confusion, not understanding why someone would be so scared of someone -family specifically- coming back home.

            As the moment dragged on, Gumball grew more and more impatient. His eyes never left the door and if it wasn't for one of the beds sides being barricaded, the one specifically in front of Gumball's way, he was sure he'd tip over. Each breath intake was harsh and hard to keep, his thoughts zooming through his mind of all the things he could be accused for but even then, he attempted to tell himself that it's ok. People conversing could be heard from downstairs but Gumball was too busy blocking everything out to notice -or heck, even care.

            For Marshall, it hadn't even been a full minute since the car pulled into their driveway, which wasn't too far from reality. The doorknob clicked and twisted, indicating the door being ready to open before flinging open, revealing someone Gumball hadn't expected. Netty. Gumball let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as a faint smile etched onto his lips. Saved from Pepper's lectures.

For now.

            Netty held a bigger smile then Gumball but they both held the same value of joy, which even Marshall could see. The younger of the three was about to fully enter the room when her eyes fell on a paper that was on the floor, her interest in her brother dissipating to one even more joyful. "Colour!" She exclaimed, picking up the paper and examining it when her eyes finally landed on Marshall, her smile vanishing into a pursed line and her eyes showing immense fear.

            Gumball saw this and instantly got up, internally cursing at the barricading before making his way to his sister but it was far too late, "wait, Ne-...!" she'd run off to her room and he knew he wouldn't be seeing her until tomorrow. He groaned softly, rubbing his face before sitting at the edge of the bed with his legs hanging off the side and mumbling to himself angrily at how stupid he was to forget about his sister and how selfish he was to only be fearing about a small lecture from his mother-figure in front of his boss about an issue he knew Marshall would eventually find out -though, the longer it took the better.

            "Barnaby...?" Marshall's voice snapped him out of his self-loathing session, his mind having forgotten that there was another person in the room besides him in his sudden outburst and super awkward situation.

            He slipped his hands off his face and let his eyes fall onto the others, staring at each other for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. Gumball figured the other wanted answers and he did have a right to know. Just not everything. "That was my sister, Netty, if you haven't met her already. She's... Shy..." It was the best way to put it for now. "She hates seeing new people since it frightens her greatly... Pepper's the only one who can calm her down right now... Especially since... My face is starting to get foreign to her... So yea..." He didn't explain more. He didn't want to.

            Marshall, understanding even though he had questions, gave a gentle squeeze onto the other's knee, complimenting the gesture with a sweet smile. "Alright... Don't stress over it, dude! Relax... Just-... I don't know... Sorry, I've never really been good at comforting you-... Others. Heh... But um..." He shifted from off the ground and sat next to Gumball, placing his hand in the small of the others back, hoping that the other didn't mind. "I've been told that I'm a good listener..."

            Gumball's head lifted from the floor to look at the other, welcomed by an oddly cute yet awkward smile and eyes that oozed with hope. He debated with himself for a second, maybe it wouldn't be too bad to tell Marshall small bits of information and heck, if Marshall didn't take it as badly as everyone else did, they could even be great friends -lovers was pushing it  _quite_  a bit. Gumball was just about to say something, his mouth open and ready before a clear clearing of someone's throat was heard. Gumball clamped up, instantly knowing who it was. Shrinking back a little, he recalled everything that usually happens if he accidentally ends up bringing a friend over -albeit Brandon is the only one who hasn't gotten  _this_  talk.

            Peppermints eyes were narrowed sharply, her heels clicking slowly against the wooden floor, making their way in front of the two males in the room where Gumball did not meet her gaze. Even though Gumball had done nothing wrong, he couldn't help but as though he had; as though he had messed up the few hours of innocent communication he had with his boss; as though he was a child standing in front of his mother, caught red-handed in an act he clearly knew he wasn't supposed to do. Whether it be a habit or the sheer intensity of the moment -Marshall feeling a bit unnerved himself- Gumball began the scratch the back of his hand once more, telling himself once again that things were ok and that he did NOT have to panic or lose control.

For now.

            "Another customer I presume?" She spat out, glaring harshly to the point where even Marshall had to look away, pulling his hand away from Gumball and setting them on his sides. Pepper kicked a few of the papers aside with her foot, scoffing at the mess and making Marshall regret he hadn't picked those up or at least put them in a little more organized manner. Gumball bit his lip, not trusting his voice to give a response and just shook his head no but Pepper clearly didn't believe it -especially since, from her experiences, she knew when Gumball was hiding something. "I see." She turned back to Marshall whom also was avoiding eye contact, the two males looking like small animals caught breaking an expensive vase. Pepper noticed how Gumball's skin started to grow redder and redder to the point where the skin was breaking, forcing her to take quick action and smack the other hand away. The smack itself wasn't hard but the noise that was emitted on impact made it seem so, Gumball's gasp and instant movement of his ligaments to his side were the icing on the misfortunate cake. Marshall didn't let that go unnoticed, his eyes now meeting with the enraged peppers one with his own.

            "I'm his new CEO and he was just helping me with some paperwork! See!" Marshall explained, gesturing to the many official documents that should clearly be in far better condition than they were with an awkward smile, hoping that was enough to clear whatever thing the old lady was falsely accusing him and Gumball of.

            Peppermint briefly glanced back at the ink printed parchments, her pursed lips not budging for even a second. Nodding her head ever so slightly in acknowledgment, she returned back to Gumball and reached for the scratched hand that clutched to the bedding with white knuckles. At the soft touch of peppermints hands though, the grip loosened and let it be carried up for a better inspection, a sigh of annoyance escaping her lips but it was all out of frustration. Her thumb gently rubbed the knuckles of the larger hand, her eyes softening at the sight of the unconscious self-inflicted wounds all whilst Marshall watched with a nervously panicked look and Gumball chewing onto the inside of his lip. "I think." She took a soft pause, lifting her head to meet Gumball's eyes that were still shying away. "You need to go to the bathroom and look for the first aid kit and while you’re at it, I think you need to use the toilet too, 'new CEO'."

            "Oh no," Marshall started "I'm ok, I don't need to use the bathroom at all but I can get the kit!" An innocent smile on his lips, unaware that he was just kindly told to get lost. Gumball turned to look at Marshall, his face giving away what Peppermint had meant and in turn, make Marshall's smile turn into a frown. "Oh... Um!" He quickly stood up, shuffling away a bit. "Yea, of course I need to use the bathroom! It's been a while! Drank far too much water, y'know?" He continued to mutter up excuses as he entered the bathroom, feeling like a complete and utter idiot as he closed the door to the bathroom right before running his hands through his hair and cursing to himself. Even though this was out of nowhere and suddenly, he still didn't blame Gumball or the situation crazy. He had forced himself into his house so he was supposed to accept all these wild scenarios -also starting to feel quite upset he startled a little child.

            Peppermint, on the other hand, finally gained access to Gumball's eyes, who were ruefully gazing back at her. She absolutely  _hated_  seeing Barnaby upset and that was mainly why she disliked Gumball selling himself, knowing very well that he didn't like doing it himself. Most of the time he'd be awfully pained when he came back home or would even be sobbing sometimes just to get a few extra bucks that really weren't worth it. Regardless, bills weren't going to pay themselves. "I'm sorry, sweetie..." she spoke softly before shifting her self, taking a seat next to Gumball. "I've been so harsh on you lately... I didn't-... you know I didn't mean anything I said yesterday, right...?" Her voice was super fragile, mirroring her own self. She'd let go of Gumball's hands and had moved to staring at the ground as the other once did. "It pains me to see you like this... I've been your mother-... Like your mother for so long and I really wished things wouldn't have had turned out like this... I really love you, truly, with the bottom of my heart, Barnaby." She turned to the other with a delicate smile, her hand lifting up to the males’ rosy cheeks and grasping at the soft skin. "I'm so very proud of you... You've made so many sacrifices in your life that you really didn't need to... You could've abandoned us at any time but you didn't... And for that, I'm so thankful... I'm glad that I took care of such a responsible and smart boy. I ask God that if there is a reincarnation, that I get to be your mother and if not that, grandmother once again." Peppermint smiled sadly, tears trickling her glossy eyes just as Gumball's were before widening in surprise as Barnaby decided to engulf the petite women in a tight embrace.

            "I know, pepper. I know... I love you too and I'm so sorry I do this... I'm too deep into this to let go now..." Pepper didn't believe the last part but she nodded anyway, returning the hug with as much strength as she could muster and even placing a kiss on the other's temple to further emphasize her love and understanding.

            After she'd pulled away, she grabbed a hold of Gumball's hand once again before calling out for the other to come back inside the room. "You can come back now!" Marshal, didn't waist another second before stepping out of the bathroom with the first aid kit in hand, looking slightly panicked since he had no idea where the kit would be and had stumbled upon things he knew he shouldn't have seen.

            Regardless, he cleared his mind the best he could before making his way to the other two beings in the room, opening the kit in front of the motherly figure. Pepper had changed her kind expression back to a stoic one, glancing at the raven-haired male for a few seconds before glancing at the kit. With a single nod, she grabbed a hold of a large bandage -which was just a large square piece of ointment coated cotton- and a roll of medical tape. Once the two items were in hand, she looked back up at the raven-haired male whom was growing nervous by the second, feeling like he was a boyfriend wanting to be accepted by his girlfriends’ father and take his daughters hand in marriage. "Grab the rubbing alcohol" pepper spoke, her voice calm and collected "and clean Barnaby's wounds here."

❈❈❈

            "Is this all normal?" Marshall inquired.

            "Yea-... Well... To others, no. For me though, yes." Gumball and Marshall lay in bed, staring at each other. After Gumball had been bandaged up, the two males started to clean the documents off the ground as peppermint went to go take care of an upset Neddy -Marshall taking a self not to take the final document paper from her before he left- and once that was clean, they settled on just relaxing and Gumball made sure this entire thing would remain pg13. At least sexually. "It happens a lot... This time it wasn't as bad, I usually scratch until I start bleeding... Disgusting, right?"

            Marshall watched the other with rueful eyes, examining each crease and fold in the others face as he spoke; how he'd scrunch up his nose in disgust at the mentioning of his habits; how he'd look so ashamed over something he couldn't help -you wouldn't shame a cancer patient, would you? "Listen, Barnaby." Marshall sat up on his side, his brows knitted together "it's not 'disgusting'. It's your way of coping, even though it's not a safe way, you shouldn't beat yourself over it." He reached over and took a hold of the bandaged hand before placing a soft kiss atop it. "I don't appreciate you doing this but I will not hate you either. I'll help the best I can so you have to do the best you can to stop, ok?"

            It's not like Gumball's completely unaware of what he's doing in the moment, he just chooses to ignore it. Knowing that if he stopped scratching then it would only result in a panic attack, better than to be safe from one of those then a few scratches.

            A rosy tint dusted upon Gumball's cheeks as he watched Marshall do his thing, his eyes affixed on the movement of the other's lips which only seemed to make his soft blush grow darker. With a shake of his head and a nod following right after, he accepted to Marshall's agreements without a fight. "Thank you..." Marshall relaxed and laid back onto his back.

            "No problem, bubs!" There's that nickname again. How'd he even get 'Bubba' out of 'Barnaby' anyway?! Gumball was about to ask just that before Marshall beat him to it, asking another question and making Gumball lose his own train of thought. "What did granny over there mean by 'another customer', huh?" Regardless of Marshall having a hint of what it meant, he just hoped it wasn't true and she was referring to something like a home business Gumball did.

            Gumball avoided eye contact. What was he supposed to say? Your soon to be secretary and guy crush was a whore? Who sold himself for a few dollars even though he has enough brains to take over your positional CEO? "Nothing." Obviously, Marshall didn't buy it but didn't nudge it further anyway. If he wasn't comfortable to tell him then he didn't have to know. Though, Gumball felt bad. Wouldn't it be better he told Marshall himself rather than wait for someone else to tell something that's probably extremely wrong? "Well..." Marshall placed another kiss on the other hand, taking turns with each knuckle and pecking those as well to further comfort Gumball. Oddly, it seemed to work and Barnaby was a lot more relaxed now, finding it easier to say what he was albeit grown a little anxious. "I... I'm this small towns local gay whore, a faggot that everyone just  _loves_ to fuck..." His words slipped out with ease, not even realizing what a huge thing he'd just said.

            Marshall stopped his innocent affections, keeping his eyes on the hand running what Gumball had just said a couple of times through his head. "What...?" His voice was fragile, a hint of fear embedded in the one word. Gumball clamped up, only now realizing what a horrible mistake he'd just made by saying what he'd had. No one, NO ONE, appreciated what he did and most of all, everyone he's ever told this has abandoned him or had pulled out their wallet to have their own round. He knew he had to answer Marshall but he didn't know how. He didn't choose this. He never wanted this, heck, he wanted to be a simple chemistry professor and bake in his spare time but life just never worked his way. All Gumball could do was apologize and that's what he did. He told the other he was sorry but couldn't get his voice to work. He was far too preoccupied with the fact that Marshall had gotten up from laying down next to him, presumably disgusted by the others sheer presence since h couldn't see the others face. "Tell me it's not true..." when no response came, he took the silence to be his evidence to prove his horrible hunch correct. Eventually, even Gumball sat up, shame and disgust in his own face. Marshall turned to look at the other and out of surprise, shocking Gumball, he hugged the 'gay whore', encasing him in his tight grip. "I don't care about that ok...." He didn't really know what he was saying and just hoped Gumball understood that he didn't think any lower of him. "You're still Barnaby Gumball to me. And... If this is the reason why you wouldn't date me then I still don't care... You're still a gorgeous and kind-hearted man that I will respect..."

            Gumball didn't return the hug, he didn't know if he deserved too. The raven-haired sexy male had entered his life roughly three days ago and he'd made it so, so much better that-... That Gumball couldn't even form a full sentence. No one accepted him besides Brandon and he really didn't know how to react. His eyes welled up and flooded with tears as a huge burden fell off his shoulders, a mountain of relief flooding all his senses and before he knew it, he was clutching onto his boss with uncontrollably ugly sobs escaping his mouth. Marshall though, didn't budge. He held onto the other as long as he needed him to and comforted him in this dire time.

            As Gumball calmed down, Marshall chanced a kiss on the others’ head to which Gumball really didn't mind before pulling away and grasping both of Barnaby's hands. "So, it's safe to say this right now and pleaaaaaaase please say yes: will you go out with me?" His eyes gleamed with hope, mirroring a child who'd just received a gift on his birthday and was needing his parents’ approval to open it. "Just one dinner! The one I owe you as an apology!"

            Gumball chewed on the inside of his lip as he looked into the others’ eyes, searching for a sign that maybe this was all fake but when he found none, he nodded with a huge dorky grin. "Yes. I'll go!"

            "Perfect!!" He engulfed Gumball in another tight hug, his grip completely fuelled with excitement and joy. After a second or two, he pulled away and wiped the others tear filled cheeks with his thumb, clasping the others face with the remaining digits. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7, ok? You're signed out anyways." Gumball only nodded, finding Marshall's hurried and childlike demeanour adorable. Marshall placed one final kiss on the others forehead -saving the lip locking for a better time- before rushing out the house with grin that defined idiocy, completely forgetting all about his files. What a dork.

            Maybe Gumball didn't have to tell Marshall about Simon, he was going to be repositioned in his job anyway so there was no need to. Maybe he could finally be with someone not just for his body. After his entire life worth of living, he was finally hoping tomorrow would come. Well, at least...

For now.

❈❈❈

            As seven rolled around the next day, Gumball was really starting to second-guess himself. Marshall could've said all that in the heat of the moment, y'know? A lot of people usually say anything they can to cheer a person up if they see them crying and that's what he was thinking happened.

            Regardless, he was dressed in a pair of dark purple dress pants, a baby blue button up with the same purple coloured vest as his pants and to finish all of it off, some nice black dress shoes. He didn't wear a tie or a coat on top of his attire since he really didn't know if it was a fancy place or not but at least this way he didn't seem too overdressed or too underdressed. All the files that Marshall had forgotten sat on top of a coffee table whilst he himself sat on the couch, watching his little sister colour in her colouring book with a big smile on her face. Pepper, oddly, was quite happy to hear that Gumball was going on a date. Whether it be for the fact that this might stop Gumball from whoring himself or for her to finally have grandkids, was unknown -possibly even both.

            Gumball took a deep intake of air, telling himself it was 'A-Okay' and that Marshall would not ditch him. He didn't even finish exhaling when the doorbell rang, causing Netty to scurry away without cleaning up and Gumball to shoot to his feet. With a one-over check, he made sure everything on him looked good -opening and closing the first button on his shirt just to be sure- before walking over to the door and knocking on it in panic. Once he realized that he wasn't the one supposed to be knocking, he quickly opened the door with a flustered look. Idiot. "S-sorry about that, Marsh-...!" His voice wandered off as he took in how Marshall looked; he wore similar clothes to Gumball but his button-up and pants were black and his vest, dark red. His hair was slicked back in a very nice comb-over, a single strand of hair falling out of place -although it irked Gumball, he also thought it made him look hotter. His hand held onto a beautiful bouquet of flowers that oddly did not hold a single rose like a typical romantic cluster of flowers would. But all in all, Gumball would much rather be taken right now, like this, against the wall albeit that wasn't the best ideas. Maybe after the date~

            "No problem, bubs! ~" he spoke in a charming voice, extending the plastic wrapped beauties into the others arms. "Their hibiscus flowers, your favourite-... I mean... I thought they would be your favourite... You don't seem like the typical Rose guy." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck once Gumball had taken the plants, waiting for some sort of reaction that would tell him if he did good or bad.

            Gumball just smiled, burying his face into the flowers before taking a long whiff. "These are lovely, Marshall...!" Marshall's awkward smile shifted to a sweet one, their eyes staring deep within one another's as they just took in the moment and each other's charming presence. The cars that zoomed by on the streets and any other noise that did not come from one another had been ignored, leaving the two to bask in one another.

            As if on key, to break the romantic moment, Pepper strutted over in her heels, a smile on her face that dropped harder than a stone thrown in water at the sight of Gumball's date. "He's your date?" She asked in disbelief, hoping that she's wrong but to her dismay, she wasn't. Gumball turned to face peppermint with the same goofy smile as he'd shown Marshall and peppers heart melted. The goofball was so happy for once and she felt horrible for even thinking badly of his date but... She really,  _really_  didn't like Marshall. "Stay safe..." She muttered and pushed the dork out of the house and snatched the bouquet from his hands so he didn't have to worry about that the entire date. "Have him home before midnight and keep your hands in your own pants!! And if you're that thirsty, above his waist!" She exclaimed and Gumball blushed furiously, even though that would be hard if Marshall turned out to be either just like his first boyfriend -the cause of his horrible tittle; gay whore- or another customer who just wanted sex for free. Or if, somehow, magically, Marshall was drenched in water so his shirt was stuck to his skin, outlining every detail and-... Let's just say Gumball might be the one attacking tonight rather than Marshall. Maybe.

            Gumball had really high hopes that this date will go on without any sexual interaction though, a part of him knowing that Marshall was the one for him. Marshall only nodded "Of course!" before gesturing Gumball to follow him to his car which he obliged without hesitation -Gumball had already been in this car so he didn't gawk at it for an hour in amusement. Once in the car, Peppermint went back inside to tend to Netty and Marshall went back to flirting with his partner. "So, you sure do know how to look hot in everything you wear! ~ Looking 10/10, babe. ~" Marshall spoke as he revved up the car, readying to leave the driveway with a triumphant smirk from Gumball's even darker blush.

            Gumball sat in the far too expensive car timidly, a dark blush now growing on his cheeks. "Th-Thank you..." He'd been with a lot of men but Marshall was something else. This was, believe it or not, his first ever date ever since he left high school so this entire thing seemed awfully daunting to him but he was sure he could pull this off. Hopefully. "You look really good yourself." He looked over to Marshall who just replied with a wink before driving off to their location. Wherever that was.

            They didn't talk much after that, only hummed along to a few songs on the radio but other than that, just enjoyed the silence. Once the car stopped, Gumball snapped himself out of his daydream of nightmarish possibilities of today's events and looked around, trying to see where they were. As if Marshall knew what exactly Gumball was thinking, he spoke up "We're at  _Le Fromage de la Terre_ , the finest restaurant in the city. And it's French!" He boasted as he finished parking the car, pulling out the keys and just relaxing back in his seat, waiting for Gumball to get out first.

            "Woah, wait! That's far too expensive! Marshall, I can't be h-..." Gumball complained, he hadn't been here but he knew that a small sandwich costs his entire paycheck.

            "Oh, hush it. You can't complain because you're not paying so get your princely bum out the car, your majesty~" Marshall spoke as he unstrapped himself and slid out, Gumball following pursuit but not liking it.

            "Your majesty is for kings, Marshall." He was going to say idiot but didn't really know if they were buddy enough for that yet. "Highness is for princes." He stated in a matter of fact tone before taking the arm Marshall offered.

            "Oh, shut up, nerd~" He teased, not really caring if they were buddy enough to throw friendly insults at each other. Regardless, Gumball didn't mind and laughed alongside the other, keeping in mind to call him an idiot the first chance he got.

            Once they entered the grand building, a soft gasp escaped Gumball's lips. This was the richer side of the city so Gumball usually never got to explore here, always just driving by to go to work but even then, he paid no mind to how stunning this entire place was. The main entrance alone was tiled with an intricate mosaic floral design that seemed like it continued into the main dining area. The roof held a massive chandelier with such high-quality glass that you could gawk at it for hours, just like Gumball was.

            Marshall smiled as he looked at the other, he praised himself for falling for such a cute goofball and if this went well -which he was sure it would- he'd absolutely spoil Gumball with the richest and finest of luxuries. "Let's go, you dork~" he snapped Gumball out of his eye rape with a little nudge, which effectively worked and tainted Gumball's cheeks with a faint hint of red. Marshall guided the other, still arm in arm, to the front desk where a woman stood in a butler’s uniform. Her hair was nicely down up and all in all, she looked just as fancy as the place. "A table reserved for two by the name, Lee Abadeer." He flashed a smile once the lady looked up in surprise.

            "Wow! An Abadeer at our restaurant! I'll have the chef informed, right away!" The woman walked away briefly to a man dressed similar to her, saying a few words which caused the man to be in just as much shock before scurrying away, letting the woman come back to the front desk. Gumball honestly didn't know what the big deal with the whole 'Abadeer’s' was but he was never the sort of person to watch tv and find out either. He'd just ask Marshall later. "So who's the special person that's supposed to be with you! ~" She cooed in amusement, her smile bigger than ever as she completely disregarded Gumball's presence -Barnaby's chest contracting in the all to familiar ache. Oh yea, the entire town knew of his status, how could he even think that there would be a day he could enjoy. Marshall looked both confused and offended as he pointed at Barnaby, who had let go of Marshall's arm at the realization. "You know who he is, right? I don't think he's anywhere close to the type of people you should be hanging out with..." Her face visibly cringing as she looked at Gumball and all Gumball could do was look at the ground, shamefully knowing all this and yet he still let Marshall bring him out here.

            "I didn't ask for what 'you thought'. Now," Marshall reached out and held on to Gumball's hand tightly, a strong and possessive grip that Gumball felt safe within. "Take us to our table or I'll leave." He spoke with a slight snare, his brows furrowed together in anger and if it wasn't for the fact that they were in public, he sure as hell would've lashed out on her.

            "Y-yes, sir! Right, this way!" She spoke nervously, realizing that it wasn't her place to speak out of turn but if Gumball was with Marshall, she might end up having a place to insult the other. At least not to his face.

            Marshall let go of Gumball's hand and instead, wrapped it around his waist, keeping the two as close as possible, following the women pursuit. Gumball reached for his hand, attempting to scratch the back once again but the bandage stopped him, forcing him to take out his nervous energy in a different way but none came to mind. They were seated in the corner of the entire dining area, a place that wasn't close to many other diners and Gumball was thankful of that but Marshall wasn't. He knew why they were being separated but he didn't want to make their first date any worse than it had. Once they sat down, the woman gave the two menus to Marshall, not wanting to associate with Gumball even the slightest before scurrying away. Marshall clicked his tongue in displeasure, his sour mood quite evident on his features and Gumball couldn't help but think this was all his fault. Maybe he should've told the other that he preferred private picnics rather than this, at least that way Marshall would be happy through and through. "I told you... Marshall... No one likes me until I'm in bed..." Gumball sighed, running a hand through his hair and messing up the locks, not caring if they looked well. He didn't deserve to look well. He never deserved anything well.

            Marshall glared at Gumball from across the table, the others added words making his mood worse. "No. No, Gumball. You shouldn't just accept this treatment. You're a human too. A human in bad circumstances but still a human." Marshall leaned over the table and reached for the others' hand, clasping it in his own before setting back down normally. His thumb rubbed over the others knuckles, trying to comfort. "As long as you’re with me, I swear I won't let anyone treat you like shit." Gumball forced out a smile with a nod, his mind telling him countless things that was making him start to panic but Marshall's hand was making it slightly more tolerable. It wasn't normal to be treated so kindly by someone other than Brandon and Gumball wasn't sure if he was ok with it. It would just be a lot more painful when Marshall left him but it would be something he deserved anyway.

            Someone beside their table cleared their throats and Gumball's first instinct told him to pull his hand away but Marshall held it tightly so he couldn't. "Bonjour, Monsieur Abadeer. I am ze chef and I have personally come here to welcome you and take your order." Note the singularity in 'order'. The chef briefly glanced back at Gumball and gave a fake smile, one that came as close to being as fake as a Barbie. "Long time no see, Barnaby. I'm presuming you're here for the same reason you were with me?" He let out a little laugh with his heavy accent, trying to lighten the mood but it obviously held disgust. Gumball just shrunk back in his seat, his eyes avoiding everything and his leg bouncing up and down to ease the panic within him through this small repetitive movement. Peter, the chef, had been one of Gumball's costumers but had stopped meeting Gumball after Simon had a talk with him -Simon wasn't the one to share his belongings. "Anyways!" He interrupted the silence and Marshall's growing anger. "I have three fine dishes prepared and ready for you; fresh Cesar salad with rich red wine vinegar as the appetizer, Coq au vin (chicken braised in red wine, lardons and mushrooms) for your main course and finally, for dessert, we have a red velvet Soufflé. Oh, and of course, our finest Champaign. Only for you mister Abadeer." He listed, making both Gumball and Marshall's mouth water and briefly forget their negative moods. "If there is anything you'd like to change, I will gladly do so."

            Gumball hesitated but spoke up anyways. "Can I... can I just have some water instead of Champaign...?" The chef looked at Gumball with narrowed eyes but nodded anyway. He wasn't going to waste such an expensive drink on Gumball anyways so he was partially relieved that Gumball just asked for water. With a nod and another fake smile, he walked off to get their designated meals.

            Marshall took this chance to resume playing with Gumball's hand before bringing up a question that was in the back of his mind. "You know him...?" Marshall asked cautiously, once again hoping this wasn't a 'costumer' but who was he fooling. Gumball didn't speak, only nodded. His eyes continued to remain on the fancy clothed table, enjoying the others touch whose calming effect was starting to linger. His body was slowly going in a 'flight or fight' mode even though he was well aware there was no harm. He hated his stupid mind, forcing him to panic when there was nothing to panic about. Marshall's pursed his lips, not pleased by the answer but answer but didn't push it. He simply changed the subject. "What're your hobbies?" He asked even though he knew the answer -how he knew this was unknown.

            "Well..." Gumball hesitated, his hobbies weren't something he should brag about. "I really like science." He stated, not bothering with his hobby; baking. "I've been interested in science since I was a child and throughout my school years, I've taken only that. I'll save you any further questions about this and just tell you that I've graduated university in neuroscience but there’s no need for such high doctrine in this town. I didn't want to be a doctor though, I wanted to be a prof. I wanted people to look at me with respect and amusement at how much I knew about a subject. I wanted to be treated higher than I am now. People would know my name as the great teacher who can teach any science, or come up to me and tell me how much their kids -or even them- learnt from my class!" Marshall watched the goofball go on a rant about his ambitions, loving the others excited expression, an expression he wanted on Gumball's face all the time. "Though teachers don't get paid a lot or don't have super,  _super_  high levels of respect... at least I'd be treated like I'm worth something..." Gumball's smile fell and the sudden drop in emotion surprised Marshall, though he didn't get enough time to comfort or contradict that saying before Gumball spoke up again. "Anyways, I want to know about you. A mysterious hottie who just popped out of nowhere and has a very odd obsession with a nerdy twink when you could really do  _sooooo_  much better.~" A waiter walked by and fillies the two Champaign glasses with their disgusted orders before walking away and letting the two resume their conversation.

            "Well," He spoke after the waiter went by, taking a sip of his drink. "My mom told me I should help her with her work and my music career wasn't going so well so I thought I just might accept and besides, a certain bird told me there's a very, very hot secretary working so that was an added bonus." Gumball took a sip of his water, a soft smile showing that he was pleased by this answer. He was glad he'd met Marshall and now, he just had to focus on the good and possibly leave the past behind. 

            As Gumball finished his sip of water, the chef rolled in a trolley of their three courses, placing the appetizer in front of the two before standing straight and waiting for them to take a bite. Marshall took his utensil along with Gumball before both of them took a bite in hopes of being treated with a great taste. For Marshall, that happened but for Gumball, let's just say he'd wished he'd never eaten. He wasn't the type to eat food, let alone eat in such a fancy restaurant and here, at least he hoped he didn't have to taste semen. There was no doubt about it, he was far too familiar with the taste to be able to say this was just a weird dressing. As Marshall took a couple of more bites, Gumball decided he didn't want to eat anymore but was stopped right away by the chef. "What's wrong, Barnaby? I thought you liked this? You eat it all the time anyways and besides, you know my deal." 'Lick it all up and I'll pay you extra' is what he usually says, but in this case, it would be eating the ruined salad.

            Marshall looked confused at Gumball before turning to the chef. "Deal? And I thought this place was too expensive for you?"

            Gumball was horrible at trying to come up with an excusable lie and Peter, the chef, knew this so he decided to step in. "Gumball and I have been... Friends for quite some time so I occasionally make this for him. And he always scarfs it down in seconds. I guess he's being a little shy for you, oh monsieur? ~" He playfully nudged Marshall, acting like this just to ease the situation but not for Gumball. Gumball's bottom lip trembles a little as he looked down at his 'food'. He would kill to have a day where he wouldn't be treated like shit outside his house -even the few people that were seated around them giving dirty looks- but it was just far too much. Wasn't it? Regardless of how badly he wanted to cry, he swallowed down his emotions just like he did with the remaining salad and quickly losing all his appetite. Marshall didn't finish his salad though, saving room for the main dish that was presented right after Gumball had finished his salad.

            Barnaby didn't want to know what was wrong with the new dish and in all honesty, didn't want to ever eat again. "You can have mine too Marshall, I'm vegetarian." He really wasn't and he was relieved that Peter didn't go against what he said. Marshall only frowned, insisting he order something else but Gumball simply replied with a simple "I'm full, thank you" after a few times, Marshall stopped insisting and let it be, finishing his meal quick and making small talk whilst the chef wasn't around.

            When it was time for dessert, the chef sauntered back to give the two their final dish. He placed one in front of Marshall and when he was placing Gumball's down, he 'accidentally' slipped and dropped the soufflé all over the others’ clothes. Now the dish may look like a normal cake but it's all Ooey-gooey on the inside, making it a bigger mess than needed. "Oh! Mon, chérie I’m so sorry! Here, come with me! I'll have you cleaned up in no time! You stay here, Monsieur Abadeer! Enjoy and don't worry!" Move again, Marshall didn't have much of a say in this before Gumball was dragged to the bathrooms. Now, the bathrooms were just as fancy as the restaurant. There was a door to specify male bathroom and within that one, there were several other doors to rooms with a toilet, sink, and towels, different than normal stalled bathrooms. Once inside one of those, Peter wasted no time in striping the younger males dirtied vest off and unbuttoning the button up shirt. He paid no attention to the several burn marks and went straight to attacking the other's neck with kisses, humming in between each one with joy. "I've missed you, my good boy. ~ Simone really doesn't like sharing but I'm sure mister Abadeer paid good money for you~"

            Gumball really badly wanted to push away but his mind was too dazed and still recovering from the initial shock of fucking everything up to even realize what was happening. Though, when a hand slid into his waistband, he was snapped to reality, forcing him to push the other away. "No, stop! Please!" His pushes weren't really effective but it was enough to stop the chef, albeit he was rather angry. Once he'd pulled away, Gumball went back doing up his buttons, tears now falling down his cheeks. "Call me and I'll tell you when I can meet you tomorrow..." He spoke simply, very used to these kinds of encounters actually. "Can you just-... just leave me alone..." Regardless of not being ok with this, wanting at least a few more minutes with his personal favourite boy toy, he left the bathroom to go back to the kitchen, not caring to tell Marshall.

            Gumball sunk to the ground, his back resting against the bathroom wall as today's incidents repeated in his mind. Why was it that whenever he thought he was happy, it always seemed to blow up in his face? Why did he have to live a life in such agony? What did he do to deserve this anyway? He never even liked sex so... Why...?

            Each question became more destructive than the last, every taunt pushing him into a panic attack he knew that was going to last for a while. He had all the air he needed yet his lungs just couldn't seem to do their job. His eyes were shut tightly as they tried holding back tears to no avail. The only thing he did seem to control was his sobs -all muffled by his hand but even those were quite loud. He wanted to get up and run, run as far as he could but where was he going to go? If he tried to ask for help, someone would end up tossing him onto a bed anyways. Everything was just pointless.

            Marshall grew worried by the second, his food not being touched ever since Gumball was dragged and now that it had been at least 15 minutes, he decided to go check on the other himself. When he got to the bathroom, he could hear soft sniffles coming from one of the rooms and presuming that it was Gumball's, he opened the unlocked door to find out that he was correct. Barnaby's eyes were completely red and puffy, his entire body too tired and lacking too much care to even stay sitting -now laying on the ground with his face buried in his hands. Marshall hurried to the other and quickly scooped the other into his lap' letting the door close behind him so they were both in complete silence and isolation. "Oh. God, Gumball!? Did the chef do this!? I'll have his head for this!!"

            Gumball held onto Marshall tightly, sobbing into his shoulder instead now and not letting him go. "N-no! -hic- it was me! I messed up everything! I ruined our date! I fucked up -hic- your first time here! I even gave you a tough time when we came here! I'm so, so sorry!" He continued to sob into the others shoulder and Marshall didn't reply, waiting to make sure Gumball was ok and wasn't crying anymore before he explained.

            It took a few more minutes but Gumball eventually ran out of tears, therefore letting Marshall speak. "You didn't ruin anything, Barnaby. Everyone else ruined things, not you. People are just assholes and I'm just glad you’re not. You’re a really good person Gumball so stop blaming yourself for what other people label you as." Gumball wasn't going to argue, he was too tired to and lacked any sort of care. Even though Marshall knew this, he still leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the others' cheek, not wanting to push too much onto him. "I'd love to go on another date with you, I'll make sure it's just us though next time." Gumball only nodded. He only wanted to be held by Marshall now, no one else.

❈❈❈

 


	5. ❈ 5 ❈

  
❈❈❈

            "That's a good boy... Now just relax..."

            "P-Peter... Aah! ~"

            "Barnaby." The sweetness once in Peter's voice had dissipated to a harsh scold, his mahogany brown eyes staring down the one underneath him with a quite angered look.

            Gumball lay in bed with his rear end high and double penetrated for his customer of the day. Peter was an old customer who'd paid good money but when Simon had found out about their regular visits, he forbid Barnaby from seeing anyone else other than him and that sucked. He wasn't being paid enough, wasn't allowed to see someone else for more money and he was also being treated like a cum dumpster. He hated it and for good reasons too.

            Peter was kinky like most of his customers but it wasn't inhumane, he made sure that Gumball wasn't in pain and that he's ok with whatever he was about to do although the bribery of extra money usually made Gumball do the things he didn't want to do either. Kind of unfair but hey, Gumball didn't mind. Money is money.

            Sadly, all good things also have a bad side. Peter absolutely hated Gumball's moans, he was not allowed to verbally express his pleasures what so ever or else Peter stops what he's doing and pays Gumball for whatever he did up until that point before sending him off. It was hard for Gumball, to say the least. He was never really treated right, no one ever really cared if Gumball was feeling good or not and the one person who did, made it difficult. Being unable to make any sort of noise forced him to focus solely on that and away from the pleasure which usually resulted in the entire process being a lot more torturous for the bottom. It was also rare that he'd release, his pleasure wasn't the customer's priority, their own was.

            Peter let this time slide since it had been so long with Gumball and had quite missed his favourite sex doll. Barnaby just had to bite down harshly on the pillow and hope he didn't make the same mistake, which again, proved to be harder than it seemed.

❈❈❈

            "Here you go, Pepper. I hope this is enough for now..." Peter paid a lot after his services, quite satisfied after their multiple rounds of fucking. He got additional money for eating the salad a couple of days ago, money for each round rather than the hour and some extra tip to keep Gumball coming regardless of being not allowed. The entire thing made his hips ache, yes, but at least he could pay for some of his sisters' treatments or medications earlier on. In the end, it seemed worth it.

            Peppermint didn't say anything. She knew exactly how Gumball had gotten this money and she, of course as a mother figure, was upset. "It is..." Her voice was faint and lacked the usual scolding touch that would come with knowing her sons' sinful activities. But, today, there was a bigger problem at hand. "Lennon is coming to check up on you and Netty." She sighed, placing the cash into her purse before returning to her son and giving him a hug. "He's coming in two days."

            Gumball stiffened momentarily but was relaxed soon after by Pepper's hug. "Is he here for long...?" She didn't respond right away, taking a few seconds to think it over before shaking her head no. Gumball sighed in relief, glad he only had to deal with his uncle for a brief period of time. Pepper played with the hem of Gumball's shirt, trying to ignore the smell of obvious sex. It hadn't been long since Gumball came back home from one of his 'meetings', he'd just entered the house, in fact. His priority really wasn't getting clean, it's not like he had anything else to do in the day anyways so showering came after the money was dealt with.

            Pepper let go after a few minutes, really needing to take Netty to her appointment although preferring to stay in Barnaby's arms. "Don't worry too much, ok?" She spoke ever so softly, placing her hand on Gumball's shirt and playing with the buttons a bit to prolong the inevitable. "He's only here for a short while... As much as I hate to make you go through this... He still has all your fortune..." Gumball didn't quite say anything, just pursed his lips and nodded. Pepper, thankfully noted the nod, not needing a verbal response, before slipping her hands to her sides and walking away with an unsatisfied frown. Gumball didn't budge from his spot though, clenching and unclenching his fists on either side of him. He hated visits from his uncle.

            His uncle was a whole other topic. A topic he much rather not talk or think about.

            With a soft sigh, Gumball went to the kitchen, standing by the counter before looking around to see what he could do. He was lost and unaware of what to do besides brew up a very good cup of tea. Netty and Pepper would be leaving so he could rest his body for a while; rest he very much needed. He set the water for his tea up and quickly brewed a cup of chamomile tea to relax. "Maybe I should message Brandon." He contemplated, it had been a while since he met face to face with his close buddy, too busy working two secretary positions to be able to slack off a few minutes with him.

            Sudden ringing alarmed Gumball, crashing his train of thought and forcing him to jump ever so slightly. He let out a soft groan, recognising the tune as his phone ringtone that his sister had chosen for him recently. Old McDonald wasn't the manliest ringtone but anything for his little sister. Pulling out the phone from his pocket, he made his way to the living room, looking at the screen with his cup of tea in hand. Once he'd taken a seat on one of the couches, he registered what his phone actually said; "unknown number." This wasn't really a remarkable thing to find on your phone, especially if you're a hooker with no social life what so ever. It's highly likely that it's another customer trying to get Barnaby in bed for an hour but Gumball didn't do two customers in a day. His body wasn't ok with it and nor was he. Though, he wasn't ok with sex in general. Pushing his thoughts and general fear aside, he answered the call. "Hello?"

            "Hey, sweet cheeks~" Of course, it's  _him_.

            "Marshall? How did you get my number?" Gumball wasn't as surprised by the fact that he'd called but more by the fact that he had his number.

            Marshall just chuckled. "A 'hello, I missed you' would be nice. 'I love you' would be even better though. ~" Gumball groaned and Marshall just further chuckled. "Oh, come on. I'm not that bad of a person, am I?" The question of how he got the others phone number dropped there.

            No, no he wasn't at all. He was an actual angel in Gumball's life. "Oh hush, you're not allowed to doubt yourself." Gumball simply stated before taking a sip of his tea and trying to hide a smile that was forming on his lips as if the other could see. “So, why'd you call? Couldn't spend even a couple of hours without me? ~"

            Marshall smiled, having to bite his lip a little to stop himself from getting too happy at Gumball's rather positive remark. "You know I can't even stay a minute without you, baby. ~" he chuckled and Gumball could feel his chest warm up. How could a single person have such a positive effect on someone without knowing them for a long time? Not that gumball was complaining, he was just afraid this all would be fake. Understandable.

            "You're such a dork, you know that? A biiiiiiiig dork. Dorkiest of dorks. King dork the third." Gumball was proud of his comeback, a little too much in fact. He bit down on his lip trying to contain his laughter as he stood up and walked back to the kitchen to place his cup into the sink.

            "Whaaaat?!" Marshall gasped, faking an offended reaction. "How dare you, you big nerd! ~ You're lucky this is a call or I would have attacked you with so many kisses and tickles!"

            "Oh, how preposterous!" This time Gumball faked a reaction, letting a soft chuckle escape at the end.

            "Mhm! Keep pushing it and I'll even drink all your blood out like a vampire!" Being the dork that Marshall was, he rose his hands and pretended they were claws before hissing into the phone but obviously gumball couldn't see it.

            "You're definitely as hot as a vampire." Marshall laughed in response and Gumball chuckled in return.

            "We're headed out, Barnaby!" Peppermint exclaimed, holding on to Netty's hand, who didn't seem to be too excited to leave. Since Gumball was on a call, he simply nodded and waved farewell.

            Once Pepper left, gumball returned to talking; "Sorry about that, Pepper and Netty just left so I'm home alone now. ~" Gumball spoke suggestively but in a joking manner.

            "Speaking of Pepper, you should come outside..." Gumball furrowed his brows in confusion, not understanding where this sudden request came from but did as he was told, not bothering with putting on his shoes before opening the door and peering out. "Hey, babe." He spoke nervously into the phone. Marshall Lee, that big dork sat in his car, parked in Gumball's driveway with an angry Pepper right beside him outside the car with Netty hidden behind her.

            "You're actually unbelievable..." Gumball gawked at the other in shock, softening Pepper's glare now that she found out that Barnaby himself was not aware of this visit. "What are you doing here!?" Gumball exclaimed into the phone but did not make any further attempt of leaving the house.

            "I'm here for you, duh!" He spoke like this was the most obvious thing in the world. Peppermint just sighed, shaking her head a little before walking to Gumball's car and settling Netty, not really wanting to figure out her sons' new boyfriend's stupidity. A minute or two passed before Peppermint was also in her car and headed off to the doctors, ignoring the CEO for good reasons. Marshall just looked at the other with a smirk, pleased that he wouldn't hear an earful from Pepper. Gumball, on the other hand, stood with a hand still holding the phone to his ear and the other pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Out of all the love interests, he could have, he had to have this idiot. He didn't say another word before going back inside his house and closing the door, cancelling all his plans for the day and deciding to just sleep his fatigue away. Marshall wasn't pleased, to say the least. "Barnaby!!" He exclaimed into the phone. Gumball groaned in reply, not looking forward to whatever Marshall had in store for him. "Come back outside! Please? I promise it's nothing stupid and I have a legitimate reason why I'm here."

            Gumball took a few seconds to think about it, debating whether he should oblige or stick to his plan. Marshall said he had a good reason, didn't he? It won't hurt to give it a try. With another groan, he opened the door and glared daggers at the other, still at the threshold of the entrance. Marshall didn't return the glare, instead gave his best puppy-dog eyes before sticking in a flying kiss. Barnaby didn't soften at the face but the sudden rising tint of red on his cheeks gave away to Marshall that whatever he did, was working. "Fine. What is it."

            "Babe. Babe, please. Come here." He patted at the seat next to his from inside the car. Barnaby's eyes darted from Marshall to his designated seat, thinking of the nicest ways to say no. Regardless of his thoughts, he still found himself walking towards the car (of course, after locking his house and wearing his shoes) before just standing by the passenger side. Marshall rolled down his window and shut off his phone. "Come in, sit down! I'm not kidnapping you, I promise. And besides, Pepper saw me with you last so she can easily catch me if I do kidnap you. Although, I would treat you like a king if you were with me. Which you should know by now."

            Gumballs glare only intensified, if possible, but did not make any moves of getting inside the only movement being his arm that finally slid his device into his pocket. "And where are we going?"

            "On a date" Marshall answered honestly. "And before you ask why because our last one was horrible and I want us to go on at least one decent date. Can't have you going around telling others that  _The Marshall Lee_  couldn't take you on a  _single_  good date." Gumball further pursed his lips, debating his choices once again. "You know you want to suck my face off. ~ I saw the way you looked at me the first time we met. ~"

            Gumball wasn't going to have this. He didn't like how right he was and Marshall was a bastard who very well knew how hot he was. "I'm not going to stand for this-..."

            "Then sit, babe" Marshall grinned, quite proud if his remark.

            "I'm going to go take a shower and ignore you" Gumball listed before walking away, stopping only when a honk startled him.

            "I have a Jacuzzi, come on!"

❈❈❈

            One thing led to another and before Gumball knew it, he was in front of Marshall's apartment. He was too nervous to enter. Gumball knew that Marshall was a good guy but everything that happened that day, it just seemed that Marshall wanted sex, bathroom sex specifically. Although this was a norm for Barnaby, he really hoped that Marshall wouldn't be looking forward to getting free sex out of him. Hoped that all of his kindness wasn't faux.

            His thoughts were disturbed by a soft nudge from Marshall, urging him to enter the house. Gumball sighed and entered the apartment, maybe two times a day won't be as bad if it's with a super hot CEO. He took off his shoes before just standing there, trying not to gawk at the surprisingly large apartment by simply picking the dirt out of his nails. "The bathrooms down the hall to your right, start up the water and I'll meet you there. Ok?" Marshall spoke gently before slipping his own shoes off and walking further into the house.

            "Thank you..." he spoke nimbly, quite aware that it wouldn't reach the other's ear. With his teeth biting harshly into his bottom lip, he tried easing himself up. He hated the anxiety that usually came with being with a new person, regardless of having dealt with this so many times before. Pushing his emotions to the back of his head, he sauntered over to the bathroom and took a look around. It was just as nice as the rest of the house and had a Jacuzzi just like Marshall had said but also had a stand-up shower so Barnaby had both options. Looking further, he found a white bathrobe that he picked up, looking it over once before taking a deep breath.

            "Let's get this over with."

            He quickly stripped down, removing all his dirty clothes before tossing the bathrobe one and tightening the strap. Deciding the Jacuzzi would be best for their activity, he walked over to the tub before plugging the up the large drain and turning the hot water on. He glanced at himself in the mirror a couple of times, continuing to eat his abused bottom lip to ease his growing anxiety, ignoring his actual reflection. Was he really going to this? Did he have much of a choice? Not really.

            What if Marshall would stop being so nice after getting sex? Would that be worth all of the troubles the other had gone through? No, not really. Gumball doesn't really think he was worth anything though. With another sigh, he ran a hand through his hair ruffling it up as he decided that he'll just have to give Marshall the best time so he wouldn't be abandoned after this day.

            Speaking of Marshall, he entered the bathroom just in time to turn off the tap and stop the water from being too much. His arm had clothes draped over it and his hands struggled to hold on to several rubber ducks. Thankfully, his struggle didn't last long as he tossed the ducks into the water. "Alright, that's done." He turned to look at Gumball and gave a soft smile. "Ready to have some  _fun_? ~" Gumball was too distraught to notice or frankly, care about the ducks. He simply gave a nod and moved to Marshall's side, pushing the bathroom door, and closing it. Before Marshall could even ask anything or protest, Gumball had Marshall trapped between himself and the door, lips nibbling around Marshall's ear, flicking the earring he wore with his tongue. Marshall was taken by surprise and didn't really know how to react. All he knew was he was enjoying this but he also knew that he didn't want this. Gumball was quick with this, hastily moving down from the shorter males’ ear down to his neck, kissing the skin gingerly and feverishly. He could taste smoke and makeup against his lips but he didn't really care. He'd tasted stuff a lot worse and really didn't plan on stopping for the small taste of cosmetics, besides, Marshall was letting out soft whimpers of pleasure that were only pushing Barnaby to continue. Well, up until Marshall finally got a grip of himself and pushed Gumball off himself. "What the fuck, Gumball!" Marshall burst out, not really meaning to though. Gumball stood there, gawking at Marshall with the utmost confused look on his face, cheeks flushed and breathing heavy. Marshall's expression mirrored Barnaby's but his cheeks were a darker red and his breathing a lot shallower. He was clearly liking what was happening, so why? "Is this what you thought?!"

            "What...?"

            "I fucking like you, Gumball!! I don't want sex!" Marshall further exclaimed a hand covering the skin Gumball had kissed. "Fuck man! Was it me? Did I come off like I wanted sex?!" Gumball really didn't know how to respond, he was just so confused and flustered. Someone like-liked him? What?! "Oh, God..." Marshall groaned, rubbing his face with his free hand, his face showcasing his weeks of fatigue and the new burdening information he just found out. "I want to treat you right, Barnaby... I didn't mean sex when I said fun... I meant  _actual_ fun. Look! I brought rubber ducks! I have colourful bath bombs that the building gave me for you to use! I have the tea set up on the stove so you could enjoy that as you took a bath...Ugh! I'm such an idiot! It's all my fault!" Marshall groaned louder, sitting on the ledge of the tub with his hand oddly still covering his neck and the other clutching at his hair.

            "I'm so sorry..." Gumball finally spoke up after minutes of awkward silence, his tears tickling his eyes. "I-I've never been treated like this by a s-stranger before... The last time I went on a date was in high school and he was my first boyfriend too... He's the reason why I'm called the local whore now and I just-... You've been so nice to me... I thought that if I gave you what you wanted, you wouldn't leave me-..."

            "But this wasn't what I wanted!" Marshall snapped at Gumball, startling a few tears out of the other. As soon as Marshall noticed that Gumball had ended up crying, he forced himself to relax, shooting to his feet before going and hugging the taller male. Gumball was afraid to touch the other now, he really couldn't afford to be snapped at again. He did not want to be super anxious like he could feel himself getting. "I'm sorry..." Marshall was careful, using a gentler voice just so he could calm the other down. "I want you to be comfortable around me..." Marshall pulled away before swiftly turning Gumball towards the tub, forcing him to look away from him since he noticed Barnaby wasn't easing up but rather, stiffening further. "Relax with a bath, pick whatever fancy bathroom soap you want and once you want your tea, call for me."

            Gumball was thankful that he escaped from the hug, he just didn't understand innocent affection from anyone other than his family and Brandon plus his family. It was an odd sensation that he wasn't sure if he enjoyed.

❈❈❈

            "Alright, since this  _is_  a date, I brought something." Marshall walked into the bathroom after being called, a goofy smile on his lips. His hands holding onto a large tray; a plate of spaghetti and a cup of hot tea on it. He hooked the tray at the edge of the Jacuzzi tub, extending it a bit before letting it rest in front of Barnaby. "That's not it by the way." Gumball looked at Marshall with a cocked brow, not really expecting this outcome. "Wait for me, please?" Gumball just smiled and nodded. Satisfied with the response, Marshall rushed out.

            Barnaby had the water up high enough to cover his scarred nipples and the foam helped cover any other scars further. At first, choosing from all the options he had was super nerve racking but after he'd gotten in the hot water, he relaxed instantly. It only took him a few seconds to ease up and the next thing he knew, the little incident that happened moments ago were all forgotten and replaced with happy thoughts. It was nice to just let go and relax. It was nice to be treated with such luxuries. It was nice not to be fucked in every tub he stepped in. It was nice to have someone who finally liked you for you in your life. It was nice to be liked by Marshall Lee.

            Gumball was snapped out of his little train of thoughts by a raven-haired male stumbling in with a large jar like container and an oddly shaped guitar case. "I'm back! I hope you missed me a lot!" Gumball chuckled and rolled his eyes but nodded to Marshall's ridiculous request anyways. Once again satisfied with the response, Marshall placed the guitar case against the sink shelf before opening the glass jar and placing it on the shelf "It's a strawberry scented candle. Cute and shit, y'know?" Marshall spoke, sliding out a lighter from his pocket and flaming the wick. "Don't question it." He then turned around and looked at Gumball with the same goofy smile. "I made all that in front of you so I hope it's good!"

            Gumball didn't have much to say or had a chance before Marshall whipped out his guitar that looked exactly like a giant axe, shocking Gumball. "What the...?! Marshall?!" Marshall only laughed, bringing the soft warmth in Gumball's chest like it always did.

            "It's been passed down to me from generations and generations of family. I just turned it into a bass guitar in my young, rebellious age. Don't regret it one bit." Marshall laughed again as he took his seat on the floor, resting his back against the tub.

            "You're not going to look at me...?" Gumball asked cautiously, even though he didn't mind. If Marshall stayed like this, Gumball could just play with his hair.

            "I'm going to stay like this and give you all the privacy you want, ok?" He simply stated, putting the instrument in his lap and readying himself to play. Gumball also prepared himself, taking his hands out of the water and drying them with the towel on the rack before digging into his food; hair plying postponed for later. Marshall heard the utensils and further relaxed, strumming a few cords on his axe before softly starting to sing.

            "I always thought I might be bad  
Now I'm sure that it's true  
'Cause I think you're so good  
And I'm nothing like you

            Look at you go  
I just adore you  
I wish that I knew  
What makes you think I'm so special

            If I could begin to do  
Something that does right by you  
I would do about anything  
I would even learn how to love

            When I see the way you look  
Shaken by how long it took  
I could do about anything  
I could even learn how to love like you

            Love like you  
Love me like you"

            Somewhere along Marshall's singing, he'd tuned himself out so well that he hadn't had realized that Gumball was now playing with his hair and had moved so he was resting his head and arms on the tub ledge. "You have such a sexy voice..." Gumball spoke up a little too honestly, a blush creeping on his cheeks once he'd realized what he'd said but that didn't stop his actions or force him to try and take back his words.

            Marshall only laughed, resting his own head against the ceramic ledge, making it easier for Gumball to play with his hair. Marshall's fingers played a random tune as he smiled, relaxing and just completely enjoying himself. "Thank you... How was the pasta? Someone really close to me thought me how to make it."

            Gumball didn't ask who, he just smiled, continuing to twirl the strands between his digits. “It was quite delicious, I hope you don't mind sharing the recipe."

            There was a soothing atmosphere around them and Marshall was quite thankful that the earlier issue didn't ruin the great moment they were having now. "I can teach you on our next date. I know you're not ok with high fancy places so I hope my house is fine..." Gumball honestly preferred hanging out at Marshall's house then fancy places where he'd have panic attacks and get called out for his horrible job. "How was the tea?"

            "It was amazing! I'm so picky about my tea but the tea was actually great!" The soaked male exclaimed. "And yea, I like it here better."

            "I'm glad. I bought you the finest tea I could find here. You can take it home if you want? I don't drink tea so it's best if you take it."

            "Or I could just keep it here and use it as an excuse to visit you." Gumball smirked deviously. Marshall mirrored the smirk as he turned around to look at the other.

            "You don't have to have an excuse to visit me. You can come here whenever. Even 3 am in the morning for whatever reason. I don't care." He stated simply, running his hand through Gumball's fluorescent dyed hair. "When did you die your hair?" Marshall asked, running his hand through the other's hair once again.

            "I used to dye it a lot when I had enough money but ever since my sisters' medical fees have increased, I've never had enough money to buy dye. I found this one two days ago in the back of my cabinet so I dyed it." He closed his eyes and let Marshall play with his hair now. "Why? Does it look bad?"

            "No, no! It looks really nice... I'll buy you this dye more often. It suits you a lot." He smiled before sighing a little and standing up. "You're starting to prune up. Come on, finish up. I'll wait for you in the living room for movie time." The raven-haired male then went and blew out the candle before picking up his instrument and placing it outside of the room. Coming back inside, he picked up the tray in front of his lover and took that outside as well, closing the door behind him.

            Gumball really wanted to protest about the dye but couldn't think of the right words. He didn't want to be pampered like this even though all Marshall wanted to do is pamper the fuck out of the other. He took a deep breath before returning to bathe. He took a few minutes to play with the rubber duck but once he was thoroughly cleaned, he exited the tub, draining the water right after. He looked at the clothes that Marshall had left him before tossing them on; a perfect fit. Confused as to how, he exited the bathroom without bothering to fix his hair and went to the owner of the apartment. "How do you have clothes in my size when you're clearly a head shorter than me?"

            "Hey!" Marshall exclaimed, looking over at the other from the couch. "I'm shorter than you but not  _that_ short!" He was roughly a few inches shorter then Gumball and try as he might, nothing would change that. "I asked Brandon to help me. Speaking of which, how are they?"

            Gumball looked down at what he was wearing and tilted his mouth to the side. "Well, it's just a rock band shirt and some sweat pants so I guess nice...?"

            "Good. I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible." He scooted to the furthest seat on the couch before patting on the spot next to him for Gumball to sit. The latter rolled his eyes before taking his seat and relaxing in his spot. Marshall scooted into his side, not even bothering to ask if Barnaby was ok with it but that didn't really matter since he just wrapped his arm around the other and let it be. "Horror or comedy? I'm not sitting through a sappy romance or a sad one." No sappy romance movies because they don't interest Marshall and no sad ones because believe it or not, Marshall cried while watching them.

            "I don't do horror so comedy it is. But I prefer sci-fi or mystery." Gumball watched as Marshall turned on the TV with his remote before flicking through the movie section.

            "I don't mind mystery."

❈❈❈

            Sometime in the middle of the movie, Marshall had laid down, resting his head in Gumball's lap and Gumball had started to play with the raven strands again. Out of nowhere, Marshall paused the movie. "I have a question, Barnaby." Gumball stopped playing with the other's hair, matching the gaze of the man in his lap in a way that gave permission to ask. The shorter male sat up, not breaking eye contact before awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. "Well... I kind of... Wanted to know if you would like to be my boyfriend...? I don't like what you do as a job but I will not ask you to stop unless you, yourself would like to. I just want to be here and support everything you do, Barnaby Gumball." Pale hands reached out for the slightly pinkish hands, grasping them in a light hold before continuing to speak. "I know I've been quite desperate about getting you to date me but I can't help it. I want to be the one who makes you smile; I want to be the one to spoil you; I want to be the person you share pointless information with and still be comfortable around afterwards. I can give you everything you can ever want and more and I don't care about what others might think! I just-... Barnaby Gumball, will you give me the biggest pleasure in my entire life and become my boyfriend...?"

            "Yes," Marshall didn't hear the other's agreement though, too caught up in his own rambling.

            "As much as I'd like yes for an answer, I will respect your decision. And if you want, we can still be friends but if you don't, I'll pack my bags and never-..."

            "Marshall!' Gumball interrupted. "I said yes." Although Gumball was beyond positive that he did not deserve Marshall, he accepted it anyway. Desperately wanting a break from his shit show of a life.

            A giant, goofy grin grew on Marshall's lips, happiness bubbling inside of the other so much that he could barely sit still. "Can I kiss you?!" Marshall blurted out, cupping the others face and readying himself for such a grand moment.

            "Wha-...?!" Gumball had never before been asked if he wanted to kiss or not before. Most of the time his lips would just be attacked and others, they weren't touched at all. It felt weird to be asked this now and Gumball was quite unsure on how to answer, though, he did like the idea of the two making out. "Yes...?"

            Marshall didn't want to delay the kiss by asking why the answer was a question rather than a statement so he simply pressed his mouth with the others and kissed him with as much love, passion and care he could muster. Gumball was taken aback once again at how surprisingly gently the kiss was, scaring him that he would accidentally hurt the other if he kissed too hard. Regardless, he kissed the best he could and they both pulled away when Gumball was out of breath. Marshall's smile hadn't wavered what so ever, his fidgeting only increasing as seconds passed by and further made him happy. "I can't believe this is happening!" he exclaimed and engulfed the other in a tight hug. Gumball was quite happy to now that he thought about it, returning the hug. This could be a happy relationship without a whole lot of mess like his last one was. Although, his last boyfriend mostly just wanted sex. Marshall doesn't. He was beyond positive now that nothing would go wrong after this. If only he could actually see the future.

"let's continue watching the movie, you dork. ~"

❈❈❈

 

 


	6. ❈ 6 ❈

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about time they open up to each other about their past.

❈❈❈

            "Aaand we're done!" Gumball exclaimed as he closed the oven door with his knee, his hands busy holding two trays of freshly baked muffins. Barnaby set the trays on the stove top to cool off before taking off his oven mitts and turning to the audience that had accumulated on the island table. "We just have to let them cool down."

            Brandon, Marshall, and little munchkin (Julian) sat on the three chairs idly, debating whether they should listen to what Gumball had just said or go steal a hot muffin. Two people obliged but a certain person couldn't help himself. "But I wanna have one nooooow!" Julian complained, jumping off his chair and stampeding over to the oven but before he could reach, Gumball scooped him up and held him on his waist. "No fair!" Julian whined.

            The remaining three people laughed softly, finding the young one's stubbornness adorable. Of course, Julian didn't give up right away, struggling in Gumball's gasp briefly but gave up as soon as he realized it was useless. "You can have a muffin when it cools down like everyone else, you brat" Marshall spoke, sticking his tongue out in a playful manner and not at all meaning to be mean in any way.

            Gumball glared at Lee, silently scolding but was ignored. "You're just jealous your boyfriend loves me more than you!" Julian spoke back, glaring at Marshall and pouting, not liking being called a brat at all. He was an angel and he knew it. Swinging his arms out, he swiftly wrapped them around Barnaby's neck and gave his cheek a big kiss, making sure to make it stay a few extra seconds to make Marshall jealous. Gumball returned the kiss once munchkin pulled away, making sure to play along with the kid and make his kiss extra long as well.

            Marshall gasped obnoxiously, throwing a hand on to his chest in pretend disbelief, even exaggerating a few blinks before speaking; "How  _dare_ you! That's my man!" Julian only giggled, cracking a smile on Marshall's lips, and breaking his act, sadly. "I'll have you know my man loves me more! Tell him, Barnaby!"

            "Hmm... I don't know, Lee..." Gumball looked at munchkin, bouncing him on his hip once, forcing out copious amounts of giggles. "You're not nearly as cute as munchkin." Marshall frowned, furrowing his brows, and huffing a little. He knew Gumball was only playing along with the act but for some reason, he felt a tiny bit jealous of a little kid.

            "Fine! I'll just take your brother!" Marshall suggested before turning to Brandon who only raised up his hands in defence, wanting nothing to do with this love triangle but unfortunately when Lee still wrapped his arm around Brandon's neck, he had no choice. Julian debated for a second, a heavy frown on his lip. He rested his head in the crook of Gumball's neck and continued to glare at Lee, stumped.

            "I take both." Julian finally stated, reaching a hand towards Brandon while keeping one wrapped around the back of Gumball's neck. "And that's fair because I have two hands, one for Bubby and one for brother." Bubby?

            "Well, I have two hands too! And they're bigger you little sh-! Gremlin!" Marshall corrected, finally letting go of Brandon who let out a soft 'Oh, thank god' before walking over to Gumball and taking Julian from him, ending the triangle before it got worse.

            "You, mister, need to stop giving Barnaby new nicknames and Marshall, please stop teasing the poor child" Brandon took the words right out of Gumball's mouth. "Alright, I'll go put this little man to bed, while you two solve your discourse."

            "But my cupcaaaaaaaakee!!!" Julian whined, kicking his legs harshly to the point where Brandon almost dropped him but fortunately didn't.

            "Julian! You can get that in the morning! I'll even let you take one for lunch so shush! Bedtime now! You need to brush your teeth as well, your mouth reeks!" Brandon's voice got fainter and fainter the further he moved away, going upstairs to Julian's room to put him to sleep so he could wake up early for school.

            Now that Gumball didn't have a child distracting him, he turned back to the muffins and gave a good inspection, making sure that they're cooling right and don't need to be moved somewhere else. Satisfied, he mentally marked down what else he needed to do for the night before he went back to his own house. He'd already helped Brandon make food for the next week or so; he'd cleaned and washed the dishes; the house had been cleaned when he arrived, and lunch was ready and prepared for the three siblings. Netty was currently sleeping in Brandon's room and pepper was out visiting her sister, though she'd be back before dawn.

            As Gumball pondered on, lanky hands wrapped themselves around Gumball's waist from behind and ahead softly rested against Gumball's back. "Marshall?" Gumball asked and got a hum in response. Rolling his eyes, Gumball further asked. "Did Julian actually make you jealous? You really are a baby." Gumball smiled, and Marshall groaned, turning Barnaby around gently before embracing him again.

            "I'm not jealous. Just a little cautious." Gumball laughed before resting his back against the counter and wrapping his arms around Marshall. "Don't laugh at me! I'm not kidding!" Marshall whined.

            "Yea, yea. Of a kid" Gumball smiled, mocking Marshall one last time (earning him a glare) before placing a kiss on his head. "Do you want to stay over tonight? Pepper's out until 6 and Netty won't wake up until she has to get ready for school."

            It took Marshall a second, playing with the hem of Gumball's shirt to help his thoughts. Gumball was genuinely surprised when an instant response didn't come, shocking him, and making him grow a little worried. Did he say something wrong?

            Thankfully, Marshall spoke up and stopped Gumball's slight internal panic before it got too bad. "Ok. I'll stay but only if you promise to keep it PG13"

            Gumball and Marshall had been going out for a while now, several dates here and there and a whole lot of make outs. Though, due to Gumball's nature (and the way majority of his life went), he wasn't able to help but end up making things sexual. Of course, Lee understood, sometimes he even let Gumball do his thing but as soon as it got too much, he would stop Gumball. Marshall Lee never wanted sex from Gumball. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, he just needed the right moment to do the dew. To thread the needle at the right time so it's not a waste. He wanted to first show how much value it held to be with someone and knowing what the term 'making love' actually meant. "I'm sorry, I won't do anything, I promise..." Gumball spoke apologetically, nimbly moving his hands to grasp Marshall's face. "I don't want to ruin us... So, you don't have to come over..." Gumball smiled even though his thoughts told him he had messed up. Big time.

            "You're doing a wonderful job and whatever you're doing is absolutely perfect ok? Don't worry. We're just going to get some rest and nothing more and I guarantee you, there is no way in the world anyone could mess that up." Unless that person’s name was Barnaby Gumball. Regardless of the small voice screaming at him to reject all of Marshall's statements, he simply nodded with the smile still etched on his lips. Marshall could sense something wasn't right, but his mind didn't see anything that could be wrong, so he simply decided to ignore his senses. "Are we going now, or do you still have something to do?" Marshall rested his head on Gumball's chest and Gumball followed pursuit by placing his chin on his head.

            "Not that I can think of? I just need to set the muffins into a Tupperware container before putting it in the fridge." Gumball moved one of his hands into Marshall's hair, raking his fingers through the dark ribbons, greatly satisfying Marshall as he relaxed into the touch. "Do you mind carrying Netty into the car from upstairs?"

            "No," Marshall softly mumbled, sounding like he could fall asleep in his current position. "I'll carry her down in a bit..." Gumball genuinely smiled this time, placing a kiss on to Lee's head one last time before just focusing on playing with Marshall's hair. A soothing atmosphere surrounded the two lovebirds. It wasn't as though this was a whole romantic setup with scented candles and music but to the two it might as well be. The subtle smell specific to the two was better than any candle and the rhythmic beat of Gumball's heart beyond harmonious than any symphony.

            Sadly, good moments don't last forever. A loud and fake cough snapped both Marshall's and Gumball's eyes towards the sound only to find out Brandon had returned. "Am I interrupting something important?" Brandon inquired only to be shot daggers at by Marshall.

            But before Marshall could complain, Gumball spoke up. "No, you weren't. I was going to put the muffins in a container before I put them into the fridge and Marshall was going to go get Netty before we leave." Gumball slid out of Marshall's grip before making his way to get the said plastic container.

            "Barnaby, you're doing far too much for me!" Brandon accused in a whining manner, moving to get the container before Gumball could. "I’m a grown man with a family, I can do all this!" Although Brandon was grateful beyond measure, he still couldn't help but feel that this might be far too much considering Barnaby had a family of his own. That and feel kind of like a burden at this point.

            "Yeah, I know you can but sometimes getting help won't hurt."   
Barnaby knew what he was doing, and he knew what Brandon meant by his words though his concern was futile. Barnaby always knew when to help out his friend without upsetting his own family (at least any more than he already had.) and especially now, it was best to bring Netty here then let her stay home alone with Barnaby. Netty had gotten quite comfortable with Marshall, quite fast. It was unlike her, but he wasn't complaining. Marshall would occasionally sing her songs and play his guitar which oddly enough, Netty enjoyed and asked for every time Marshall would show up. It was a pleasant change.

            Brandon, giving up on trying to deny Gumball's help, simply started assisting with whatever needed to be done all the while Marshall took the chance to go grab Netty and set her in the car without waking her up.

❈❈❈

            "Marshall... Tell me more about yourself." Gumball spoke softly, his head buried deep in Marshall's chest as the two laid in bed quite comfortably. "Your life seems so perfect... And I know that's impossible so... Please... You don't have to tell me everything or anything actually-... But I just-... Never mind..." Gumball silenced himself once again, shutting his buzzing head of doubts and distraction so he could sleep. Well, he tried to at least. There was no way he was the only one who could suffer and be aware of it right? He just wanted some reassurance and although the way he stated it was stupid, his feelings were genuine.

            Marshall wrapped his arm tighter around the taller male, resting his chin softly above Barnaby's and debated whether he should speak or not. Of course, he had issues. He wasn't perfect after all. The only problem with telling his issues was that was Gumball ok with bearing this knowledge? He already had  _so much_  to deal with (even though he didn't know all about Gumball's current life) Lee didn't want to burden him further. Marshall sighed. "I'm not perfect; no. Far from it in fact..." He chose his words carefully, cuddling more and more into the other with each word. He was never the one to be able to comfort people with words and to him, every time he had tried, he had ruined things. Though, that didn't stop him from trying again. At least for Barnaby's sake. "I just don't think it's right for me to tell you any of mine until your life gets a little better; I don't think it's fair. We can take turns taking care of each other so it's not overbearing." Marshall bit his lip, really hoping that was good enough.

            Gumball pursed his lips, beyond unsatisfied with that response but he was also aware of what Marshall had meant. "And what if my life never gets 'a little better', then what? Will you never share your side of the story with me...? Will you not allow me to comfort you -- make you happy the way you make me?" Marshall hadn't thought of it that way and now that it had been put into words, he felt a lot more anxious then he was a minute ago about this topic. He truly did not want Gumball to worry.

            When Gumball received no response, he sighed. "I'm sorry... I know it's hard to tell people about stuff. You don't need to say anything." Gumball pulled his head away from Marshall's chest, so he could peer into those lovely orbs but sadly, the lightless room didn't allow it. Gumball frowned with ease knowing that Lee would not be able to see him, he then chewed his lip. "I just- I just thought-..." Just thought you trusted me as much as I trusted you. "It's nothing..." Sighing once again, he aimlessly went in for a kiss which to his surprise, landed close enough to the other's lips and at just the perfect time to shut whatever Marshall had to say against Gumball's hesitation. "Good night, Marshall. Sweet dreams."

            Marshall swallowed the ball of needles now jammed in his throat as he tried to frantically think of a way to remove the frown he'd caught a glimpse of on Barnaby's lips though no matter what he thought up to say, his mouth refused to execute. Taking that as good of an answer as any, Gumball pulled away from the embrace and turned around, readjusting his pillow and the blanket tangled between the two male’s ligaments, Gumball decided it was late enough and attempted to sleep.

            Though, when the taller man was seconds away from dozing off, he felt the mattress move and Marshall sits up. The darkness of the room and the fact his back was to Marshall didn't allow for Gumball to see what was actually happening but by what he could feel against his back, Marshall was holding on to his knees with his back against the beds' headboard. "Ever since I was young..."

            Marshall paused, giving Gumball a chance to take in what was happening (and see whether he was awake or not). "Marshall, you don't have to force yourself, I told you, it's ok and-..."

            "Shut up." Marshall interrupted, taking a deep and sharp breath through his teeth. "Just-... Just, please... Let me talk this out. For me, if not for you." Marshall had no plans of sharing his entire story, nor would he physically be comfortable enough to, but it was an attempt; a sacrifice he was willing to make for the sake of the other. Gumball didn't say anything else and Marshall internally thanked him before raking a hand through his hair. "Ever since I was young, I've lived on my own. I had my dad for the first maybe, 8-10 years but after that, I lost him. Mom never really was around and until now, she never is unless it's for her own, selfish reasons." Marshall slightly cringed at the thought, the cringe seeping into his words enough for Gumball to catch it. "Simone came into my life a little after my dad went away. She was such an angel; a true blessing but fate insanity took her as well, again leaving me with no one. I grew up thinking that people live to essentially just die and when everyone around me, hated me to the point where I would be scared in my own house of what they might do, I believed it too. But... But then I met... I met someone... Someone really special... That person thought me how to love without understanding what love was them self. They gave me a new reason to live and-..." Marshall shut himself up. He couldn't bring himself to talk anymore. Tears heavily pooled around his eyes and he knew if he even said a word more, he would not be able to hold himself back.

            Gumball was quite surprised, shocked even. His mind just couldn't comprehend how anyone could hate the other at all. He turned around to face Marshall (though there was no point) but did not make any other movements. He was afraid if he touched Marshall, he might just break him. The once strong man he knew was now weak and quite fragile as he spoke, each word holding a soft shake, a whimper even; as if it were a silent plead to make things better. If only Barnaby knew how he would instantly do so. "I-I never tell anyone anything... But... I need to tell someone at one point and you... You're the best p-person..." At this point, a tear or two had slid down Marshall's cheeks but he couldn't bring himself to wipe them away. It was so stupid of him to cry. He hadn't even explained his story in detail (or even explain all of it) but here he was, acting like a bitchbaby again. Marshall let out a deep shaky breath before blinking any remaining tears away.

            Gumball didn't quite understand the pain, how could he even? The way Marshall had explained it had not been enough for him to truly grasp the pain, but he trusted Lee and knew if there was something that hurt the oh-so-very-kind-and-goof-ball of a person, it was bad. "I don't think I'm the right person... But..." Gumball reached out his hand, softly scanning around for a hand to grab but couldn't find anything since Marshall's hands were both folded atop his knees. Realizing what Gumball was looking for, he simply let his hand fall down where Gumball could grab it before smiling ever so faintly. Barnaby gave a soft squeeze to the others' hand for comfort before continuing. "But if it's what you believe, then I will try my best to help you in any way that I can..."

            Marshall's smile only grew at the last remark, a small sense of reassurance and relief washing through him for not messing this up like he usually would. "That's what I believe, Barnaby..." Gumball smiled softly too. Barnaby had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, he wanted to know more; know why Marshall was hated or who that special person was? Jealousy slightly stirred in Barnaby, but he suppressed the urge to express it. He just couldn't bring himself to ask. He'd already forced so much out of the other and he couldn't do this as well. He'd just have to let Marshall explain at a better time.

            After a few seconds, Marshall slid his hand out of Gumball's and slowly moved it into the blonde strands, running his nails gently against his boyfriend’s scalp which earned him a soft sigh of satisfaction. This continued for a bit, just the two sitting in each other's comfort before Gumball spoke up again. "I think it's my turn to share some of my life..." Barnaby had started feeling bad for making Marshall say such things and not explain his own life at least a little.

            "Only if you want to; I didn't tell my side because you asked-... Well, my decision was influenced by it, yes, but I also  _wanted_  to tell you. So, if it's what  _you_ want, I'm all ears." Marshall didn't stop playing with Gumball's hair as he spoke, instead, he moved himself so he had his legs flat and straight in front of him. Gumball nodded gently before taking a chance to move his head on the others' legs, softly wrapping one of his arms around the ligaments as well. Marshall switched his hand to make it easier for himself.

            "I never really knew who my parents were..." Gumball started, hoping he would do a good job of explaining. "My dad died before I was born, and my mom died several months after Netty was born due to surgical implications and health issues. I was roughly 10 when she was born."

            "Wait..." Marshall interrupted, kind of confused as go how Netty was born if their dad died before Barnaby's death. (Sure, he could've gotten his mom pregnant and then died but 10 years later???) "How did... How was Netty... You know...?"

            Gumball sighed "let's just say my uncle isn't Netty's uncle as well..." That cleared up Marshall's confusion and made the situation awkward, but Gumball didn't let that last. He continued with what he was saying earlier in the hopes to change the awkward atmosphere. Which Marshall helped with by continuing to play with his hair. "Well, I suppose I knew my mother, but I was so young when I lost her that the memories I have of her are just really vague..." Marshall stopped playing with Gumball's hair and instead, placed a comforting hand on Gumball's forearm to ease up just a little more. "Pepper Montoya, my grandmother, took us in and cared for us... well, she tried to. She was hoping that my parent’s money would be inherited to us but because we were too young, we didn't get anything. I was supposed to get it when I turned 18 but by that time the rumour of me being a whore had widespread and because of that, I was deemed 'unsuitable for the money'. Netty was 'unsuitable' from the start for reasons she had no control over..." Gumball paused for a moment, debating if he should continue. He had already started so why stop now? He'd never told anyone his backstory either (not even Brandon) so maybe letting out would be good? At this point, Barnaby could give less of a fuck. He was tired of hiding and what was the worst that could happen? Marshall didn't leave him when he found out he was a whore so why would he leave after knowing the reason why?

            Though, after a brief pause, Gumball instead asked: "you're not tired, are you?"

            Marshall tried not to laugh at such a serious moment, but he couldn't help it. The question was so out of the blue and when Lee was expecting to be dropped with heavy bombs, he got this instead. "No, love," he ran his fingers through Gumballs hair again. "I can listen to you all night if that's what you need."

            Gumball looked up at the other, or at least tried in the darkness, a smile etched on his lips. "I better not see you slacking off at work then, can't have me doing all of it now can we?"

            Marshall laughed once again, shaking his head slightly "No, sir. If anything, you shouldn't have to work at all." Gumball smiled, moving his hand to intertwine his fingers with the others dainty hands.

            "If only." They shared a small laugh before Gumball sat up as well, sitting next to Marshall with his hand still intertwined. "I'll tell you my back story... I really need to tell someone, and I trust you enough to tell you this." Marshal didn't say anything, he wasn't quite sure what to say so instead he just gave Gumball's hand a squeeze.

            Reassured, Gumball started. "I-... My life was always, what's the word, reserved. My parents died when I young like I said, so I was given to my closest relative which was my uncle. And since he was Netty's dad... Pepper lived across the sea at that time, so she wasn't able to adopt us even though she was willing to move. Lennon never fucking wanted us, but we got stuck with him anyways... Stupid justice system..." Marshall moved closer to Gumball and rested his head on the other's shoulder for some comfort. "My uncle wasn't a good man which explains why his name was Lennon. He always had a strict timetable set up for me since Netty was too young to do anything. Everything I did was timed and if even a single minute was off, I'd get locked in the small room in the basement or we wouldn't get to eat. Which I didn't mind, away from him was the best thing but it also meant no one was looking after Netty... so I tried to stay out of trouble for her sake if not mine." Gumball paused, horrid memories of how he was treated played in his head and although he hated it, it was still better then what he was going through now. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Because of such strict rules, we were homeschooled. Thankfully though, by the time I was finishing grade eight, Lennon's misdoings were found out and our custody was given to pepper but because both of us were still young, the company, inheritance and all the riches my parents left behind belonged to Lennon still. Although he can't use it, he still has to sign the legal papers stating I'm a responsible enough adult to hand me such riches." Marshall held on to Gumball's hand a little tighter and using his thumb, he caressed the backside of said hand. "Poor pepper was already old, she couldn't work as much as she used to, but she put twice the effort for us. I started high school shortly after and it really was something scary... I had gone to a Catholic elementary for all my life before Lennon, but I was supposed to learn so much about high school in the last two years that I just didn't. Though the first year wasn't that bad. Sure, I got a little bullied here and there but all in all, my life was going the best I could ever imagine! I worked at the local cafe that served really nice tea, I was at the top of all my classes, the teachers all loved me, and I was starting to find out who I liked. Since I never really had dating experience, I wasn't sure if I even liked females but since it was the default, that's who I tried crushing over." Marshall snorted out a laugh and gumball smacked Marshall on the stomach lightly to simmer down his laughter. "Though, after a while of trying to find a girl I could like, I gave up. Instead, I ended up falling for a really hot basketball player in my second year."

            "Typical." Marshall interrupted, getting another smack

            "I know but shush! I never engaged him of course, the only sport I did was swimming and that was an after-school club activity I thought would be fun and kind of make me seem cool..." gumball trailed off a bit and before Marshall could say anything, he picked up again. "I'm not sure how and it might be because I don't remember but somehow my crush approached me. His name as Rick and he was a really big deal unlike me. He told me he saw me swim and thought I was cool. And of course, as a 14, maybe 15-year-old me was over the moon with joy that my crush thought I was cool! We exchanged numbers and before we knew it, we were texting each other daily." Marshall really didn't want to interrupt but he was dying to point out how cliché it sounded and honestly didn't want the story to end where Gumball's crush wasn't actually gay, so he was heartbroken. "We ended up sharing a lot of secrets together and I started to trust him with almost everything, eventually, even that I was gay. I expected him to be revolted and for him to hate me forever, but he didn't. Instead, he told me he was bi and the real reason he gave me his number was, so he could ask me out, but he chickened out thinking I wasn't gay. And since we were confessing, I told him that I had the biggest crush on him too. Next thing you know, we're dating, and it's the end of the second year." Marshall looked at Gumball in utter shock and maybe slight jealousy, not expecting him to actually get the hot basketball player as his first boyfriend. Thankfully Gumball couldn't see.

            "We went on several secret dates throughout the summer, trying not to touch in any way in public but he'd still end up stealing a kiss before the end of the date and once school started, we went out for lunch or hid anywhere we could to make out. He'd also buy me gifts (and vice-versa) and even though it was really hard to explain why I had a stuffed teddy bear to pepper or even boxes of chocolate, I'd somehow get away with it. And just like that, senior year was here, and my life was the best it could ever be. Though senior year was only the start of this bitch of a life." The bright smile that had appeared on Barnaby's lips from all the pleasant memories were washed away at the mentioning of his last school year.

            "Rick always was the socially popular both on social media and real life and because of him, I got a few friends though, they were just hanging with me because of Rick. But again, I didn't mind. I was content with Rick alone."  Gumball sighed, removing his hand from Marshall’s, and shifting as away little. It was time he gets to the serious stuff even though it brought back agonizing pain with each memory.

            Marshall, of course, let Gumball have all the space he wanted regardless of wanting to hold him as tight as he could. "As jealous of Rick as I am, I feel like I should be glad I wasn't in his place..."

            Gumball softly smiled to himself, Marshall's words had broken his chain of thought and that was something he was grateful for. "I love you for you... And I trust you... So, if you do become Rick just-... Just don't... Though you'd never be able to do as much damage as him..."

            with another sigh and a soft yawn, Gumball decided to continue. "We were teenager's back then, young and hormone riddled messes. Sexual urges were normal to have at that age, but I wasn't the type. I didn't like sexual contact (I didn't see the hype of it at least) but my ex, on the other hand, seemed to find it beyond appealing. I was fine with him touching me, it wasn't a bad feeling, to say the least, and I was enjoying it if my partner was too. But by the time half of the senior year passed, he was trying to ask me for full intercourse which I wasn't up for at all! The most I could do was give a bad blowjob... I guess that really wasn't enough because I could start seeing the anger and annoyance after every refusal and as much as I didn't want him to be upset with me, I just wasn't comfortable with the idea. I tried convincing myself it's ok but all of it just seemed so scary... I- I just couldn't..."

            "After a while though, he stopped asking. He told me it was ok to be scared of this and he wouldn't rush me into anything so instead, he went back to normal stuff. Though, one day, he had a rather odd request of recording me as I blew him off. I was really uncomfortable with that too, but he convinced me it would just stay on his phone for himself. Big mistake. After that day he kind of laid low on any sexual activities. He also stopped hanging around me in front of his friends but after school, he'd text me and I thought he was just rethinking things after me refusing him so many times. that wasn't the case. He'd ended up getting a girlfriend and I found out through his social media account. Now mind you, we were kept a secret because he said he didn't want anyone to know he was in a relationship and so I thought maybe this was a cover-up? I texted him about it, but he blocked me and when I approached him at school privately about it he told me we were never a thing at all. I was heartbroken, I genuinely thought that he felt the same way as I did but I guess I was wrong. I told him I'd tell his new girlfriend about what he's done, and he looked me dead in the eyes and told me no one cares about what I said. Which... Which, well, wasn't wrong... Rick was the only reason anyone gave a shit about me, but I tried anyways. I tried talking to the people I thought I could call my friends and even ricks new girlfriend. I didn't want him to leave but if that's what he wanted, I just wanted him to agree that we used to be a thing if not that, then that he cheated on me..." 

            "The next day though, I walk back to school and everyone I walk past started whispering to one another. Of course, this wasn't something I was used to or normal. Usually, no one gave a shit if I was close by, they didn't lower their voice when they'd see me, so I knew something was up, but I just didn't know what. I got approached by a couple of random guys while I was at my locker who stood too close for comfort before offering me money. I was so confused and didn't know how to react but when I asked them why they were giving me the money, they told me that I "know why we're giving you money" and "don't act stupid, you should be used to getting money!" I just took my books and walked away from them as fast as possible. No one bothered me after that until I had to change for swim practice... I had just changed into my swimwear when the other guys in the locker room shouted out "whore". At first, I ignored them, name calling like that was common but after practice was when the other members approached me specifically, cornering me and laughing. Calling me out for sexual accusations I had not committed and I tried to tell them it was lies and all of them were but when one of them pulled out their phone and showed me the video Rick had taken, posted on his social media with the caption something along the lines of "twinks will suck you dry for any money."" Gumball sniffles back a few tears, trying his best not to cry but he felt like Rick was ripping out his heart all over again and he didn't know how to stop him. "I felt like crying. I had never cried at school before and I really didn't want to do it then, but I put so much trust in one person and all of it was just... Broken."

            Marshall moved close to Gumball again and wrapped his arms around his body tightly. A comfortably tight grip that at first made Barnaby tensed up but slowly relax. Gumball was both pleased and mad that Marshall touched him, mostly because now there was nothing holding back Gumball's tears and the small comfort had pushed him over the edge. Lee's shirt started to drench in cascading tears as the taller male slowly but surely returned the gesture. It was a poor attempt, not as nice of a grip as Lee but in between his uncontrollable sobs and violently shaking shoulders, this was the best he could offer.

            Marshall placed soft kisses on to Gumball's neck to further ease him, hoping this physical affection would be enough. Although it wasn't helping Gumball, he appreciated the gesture and found comfort in the fact that Lee cared enough to try and make him feel better.

            After a short break, gumball calmed himself down enough to not stutter while he spoke before attempting to. "You-" he sniffled away any remaining tears, his voice now groggy and dry. "You shouldn't-" no, he really shouldn't but Gumball was feeling selfish and wanted him to do it, but he didn't want to be such a huge bother like he always was "You don't have to do this... The whole Rick thing happened a decade ago, so I should be able to move on by now... Just get over it."

            Marshall pulled away to get a better view of his partner, sensing Gumball's desperation but was conflicted by his words “Yeah, I don’t have to, but it would make me a shitty person and even shittier boyfriend if I let you cry on your own without at least trying to make you feel better. And as for you moving on, you’ll never be able to do that unless you truly grieve and let it all out. Trust me… I tried playing the whole thing of being strong and not being upset but it doesn’t work like that…” Marshall confessed, moving his hands higher up to the taller male’s face, grasping his cheeks gently. A timid, pale thumb rubbed against wet cheek as blonde lashes fluttered shut. “You were hurt, and you have every right to be upset…”

            Marshall’s soft voice did wonders to Gumball, his long craving for innocent affection being satisfied with every gesture Lee made. “I love you…” Gumball couldn’t remember when they started saying they loved each other but they just one day did, and it just felt so right, they didn’t stop. Though, this one felt different. Both, saying it and hearing it. It had a subtle but evident impact that left both of them slightly flustered. It could always be the fact that it was said out of nowhere or from how close Barnaby now felt opening up to Lee. It also really didn’t matter.

            “I love you too,” Lee replied, continuing to caress soft skin. Gumball smiled and moved to kiss Marshall's forehead but accidentally ended up placing a kiss, jolting back as soon as he felt his mistake. “I’m so sorry!” He pulled away from the other right away as if holding him would further hurt him.

            Lee only laughed. “Don’t worry, my eyes closed before you could hurt me.” Gumball swallowed, his dry throat now evident to him. “Do you want me to turn on the lights, so you can see?” Marshall offered but Gumball shook his head.

            Realizing Marshall most likely didn’t see, he spoke up. “No, it’s ok. I'll just open the curtain- “

            “No-!” Lee interrupted a bit too quickly, a subtle hint of fear in his words. “No, it's ok… I hate the sun and I don’t want to deal with it in the morning.” Gumball just laughed, shaking his head to himself this time, not picking up the fear.

            “Alright, let’s get some sleep then… I think it’s too late.” Gumball moved to lay down, feeling even more exhausted then he was. Marshall didn’t follow, having a question he still wanted to be answered. Sensing something was wrong, Gumball asked; “What’s-? “He let out a hardy yawn before asking again. “What’s wrong?”

            Marshall crawled to Barnaby now, moving so he was laying with his head against Gumball’s chest and the others’ arms were folded around him on his side. “I’m really sorry to ask this but… I’ve been wanting to know why you decided to sell yourself like this- I mean… What they said to you; did it affect you so badly that you decided to do as they said…?”

            Gumball tensed up but didn’t move away. He took a minute and rethought the situation and continued right as Marshall tried to speak. “Well, I was always a good kid. Top of all my classes and got several academic and swimming awards. I guess people just wanted to see me fall so bad, they believed what Rick said. Word went around fast in this small town and the next thing I know, everyone’s heard about the rumour, it didn’t affect my high school graduation, but it did immensely affect my college life.” Gumball sighed, shutting his eyes tight. “I did a crash course and got a Ph.D. of chemistry in 2 years. It would’ve taken 6 but I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle the things being said to me at the time. I also did booklets at home to help speed up the process. The rumours were still around and would pop up here and there but for the most part, they disappeared. Or so I thought. They genuinely started to affect me once I finished college and started to work… No one wanted to hire me, and Pepper was starting to struggle more and more with her work, trying to keep up with so many bills wasn’t easy, and I couldn’t help her. She, of course, didn’t believe that her innocent grandson could be a man whore and she believe my words over strangers so that helped emotionally. But…” Gumball sighed, the tougher bit of the story coming. He tightly wrapped his arms around Marshall and buried his in Marshall's hair. +++++++“I don’t remember where I was going but, on the way, I was pulled by two dudes into an alleyway. I don’t remember what happened next, but I still remember how much pain I went through and the fear I felt… They gave me loads of money before leaving me there to rot… I couldn’t tell pepper I was raped, it would’ve only added more stress and worry to her poor soul, so I kept it a secret. It was hard… Really hard… I hated myself and what I was. I couldn’t go outside anymore but I also couldn’t stay at home. But… After 3 or 4 times this happened, I stopped trying to fight it… I was getting money, it was paying the bills that desperately needed to be paid… I didn’t get a job until way later I accepted what I was forced to be… And I met Simon that way too… He offered me this job and- “Gumball cut himself off, taking a deep shaky breath in before placing a gentle kiss on Marshall's head as if to reassure himself his life had gotten better that the man in his arm was the only genuinely good thing in his life. “He’s no saint and if I had the choice of changing one thing in my life, it would probably be that I never met him.”

            Gumball went silent and Marshall didn’t speak. He didn’t expect this at all and it was so messed he didn’t know what to say. “Holy fuck dude!” Marshall spoke a little too loud, pulling away from the other. “that’s so fucked up what the hell…” He spoke in a much lower tone than before. “You don’t deserve this at all… God…” Marshall ran a hand through his hair, scanning the latter with shock. “I don’t even know if I want to know how bad Simon is, but I promise you I’ll get rid of his fuck ass from your life as soon as possible…”

            Normally, Gumball would’ve smiled at the others comment but he couldn’t bring himself to. He felt so low at the moment and he just wanted to do was sleep without remembering anything more. “Can-… Can I hold you again…?” He asked timidly, afraid he was abusing Marshall's kindness by asking to be comforted.

            “Of course,” Marshall was still beyond shocked, but he wasn’t going to leave the other. Not now. Not ever. He moved back into his prior position, holding the latter just as tightly as he was being held.

            As silence fell upon them again, Marshall could feel Gumball continue to stiffen up and if he hadn’t known how sadness worked, how would ignore it but he did know. He knew Gumball was overthinking things and would eventually even cry. Though, he feared he was wrong. Gumball could also just be uncomfortable with the old memories clouding his mind, so Lee felt best not to ask. Instead, he started softly humming. Nothing in particular with no actual beat but his harmonious vocals were slowly easing up Gumball's tense state until he’d been eventually forced into slumber by his exhausted body and lulling tune.

            “I love you, Barnaby. I won’t let anything happen to you again…”

✥✥✥


End file.
